tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10821999577756289552024-03-05T00:52:51.678-05:00The Earl Grey AddictI wanted to try every Earl Grey on the planet. Turns out I'm a traditionalist and didn't need to try them all after all. Take care, drink tea and thanks for reading. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01700541283729038299noreply@blogger.comBlogger77125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1082199957775628955.post-4535097881946632262018-11-20T21:00:00.000-05:002018-11-20T21:00:08.956-05:00Review #74 - High Teas - Breakfast Earl Grey<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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"<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span>"</h2>
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On Sunday Oct 21, 2012 my first Earl Grey addict review went live. I was clearly not qualified to review tea, (still not) but the internet is a big place so fear went out the window and I went for it. It turned out to be the right thing to do. I got to meet alot of fellow Earl Grey-ers and had fun along the way. Well given I'm an engineer and not some great poetic writer lets just get right to the point. After this review I will do <u>one more</u> to end on a nice clean number (i.e.75) and then I will retire. Simply put, no more reviews. </div>
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1. Yes I know I didn't try all of them. Now that I know I'm a traditionalist who enjoys a certain kind of Earl Grey the world got awfully small. </div>
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2. I now have this great list of teas that I can always reference when out and about which was my goal from the beginning. </div>
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3. I'm not one to follow stats but numbers don't lie. My peak saw over 5000 views for just one review. My last review has yet to reach 65. </div>
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So with enough teas to pick from that I like, and with readers losing interest it's the perfect time to pull the plug. With that out of the way, onto the review. </div>
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<b>Aroma</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyM_MWcRPjMBidxwrmYji4UBj2WDj0oyS_PpQg6UhI5W6dGHYBenv3podXSQU8njVZwAMzBi7CkRQ_8cjZtAunUM3uXJXOmuc0sj4wJmrI2Hpf4KpWeYv60uZ1DHTaSypeTfx_FMTM8daF/s1600/IMG_20181120_161110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="904" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyM_MWcRPjMBidxwrmYji4UBj2WDj0oyS_PpQg6UhI5W6dGHYBenv3podXSQU8njVZwAMzBi7CkRQ_8cjZtAunUM3uXJXOmuc0sj4wJmrI2Hpf4KpWeYv60uZ1DHTaSypeTfx_FMTM8daF/s400/IMG_20181120_161110.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
As you know I really enjoy reviewing teas I've never heard about. So when Donovan contacted me and offered to send over some Earl Grey I obviously said yes. When the package arrived I found a black zip lock type sample pouch. On one side, black with a label telling me what it was and on the back side clear plastic. Seeing the tea before you ever open it is kinda cool. Points should be given to any company that sends out sample size bags with zip locks and High Teas gets one there. </div>
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Once I opened the bag I was met with a very black tea aroma. I really couldn't pick up on the citrus at all and that's fine. We've seen before how some blends come alive once steeping occurs so what made this tea smell the way it did? From their site:</div>
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<i> <span style="background-color: white; font-family: "futura" , sans-serif; font-size: 17px; letter-spacing: 0.425px;">A sturdy blend of strong black china and ceylon teas together with the unmistakable scent of bergamot. Ideal morning tea. An improved base enhances the generous Bergamot flavours.</span></i></blockquote>
After some checking on their website I got my answer to the aroma.<br />
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<i>Breakfast tea predominantly is a robust, full-bodied beverage with light floral undertones, which can sometimes be referred to as "coppery".</i></blockquote>
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Needless to say a rather unique way of describing tea. Lets now see how they want it prepared. </div>
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<b>Steeping Method</b></div>
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I understand keeping a website up to date is no small task but when I see generic steep times that only refer to "general" tea groups I think it misses something. I personally like to know what the person(s) who created this tea thinks is the best steeping method. With that said this is what their site said: </div>
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<i>4-6mins at 95c</i></blockquote>
This meant it was time to dig out the thermometer and do some science-y stuff.<br />
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<b>The Results </b></div>
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At the 4 min time the aroma really didn't change all that much but I was met with a nice<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4kX9IP1N1iRg67r971qFILlpsUObkHSR9CY3au9ASVJSL8ATem3C02yww1QB-6svcFaemuZTLt1q88SYmZy6JBswH27TPnKWFIhH2gTjo7-JxuFtauFKigrP19EYfu7J8o6chvmD9DvOn/s1600/IMG_20181120_162621.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="915" data-original-width="1600" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4kX9IP1N1iRg67r971qFILlpsUObkHSR9CY3au9ASVJSL8ATem3C02yww1QB-6svcFaemuZTLt1q88SYmZy6JBswH27TPnKWFIhH2gTjo7-JxuFtauFKigrP19EYfu7J8o6chvmD9DvOn/s320/IMG_20181120_162621.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
cup of Earl Grey. It definitely had that strong full bodied flavor they spoke of which kinda left me wanting a bit more citrus. Their coppery flavor was nice but that brisk citrus flavor would have really added to the whole balance. The color was on par with most other teas at this time. Cooling gave it a bit more mellow which I liked. </div>
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For the 5min time the aroma changed a bit but again the strong tea really came through. The color got a bit darker but you really had to look for it. At just steeped, I didn't really like the overwhelming flavor but after letting it cool a bit this tea smoothed out very nicely. A very nice surprise. </div>
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At the 6 min time the aroma was even more intense black tea with even less balance in the citrus area. The color really got darker and the flavor was pretty much all black tea. Cooling brought some balance and soothing but not like what happened at the 5min steep time.<br />
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<b>Re-Steeping </b><br />
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If you are looking to get very similar teas then I would go with a 4 minute first steep with a slightly over 5 minute 2nd steep.<br />
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<b>Final Thoughts</b><br />
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We never really touched on Organic, where the bergamot comes from, fair trade and all the rest because their site didn't mention it. If they did then I missed it. But for my long term readers I look for balance and this variety is weighted more towards the bold tea used in this blend. I would have liked more citrus but it is what they said it was going to be. So if you like a bolder more black tea based Earl Grey I'd say give it a try and be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments section below to help others. <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01700541283729038299noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1082199957775628955.post-25499609179848732492018-08-13T15:00:00.000-04:002018-08-13T15:00:14.900-04:00Review #73 - Stash Tea - Organic Earl Grey Black & Green (bagged)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The references I could make about the next three reviews are beyond numerous. I could reference a certain frog who sang about it's not easy, I could reference a certain well known UK metal band with the song title of "Can I play with madness", and finally I could pull out a certain series of books by a certain author who lives in Maine but I won't. I will just explain what is going on. For a time, I had today's reviewed tea staring me in the face. It came with a gift 3-pack box that someone gave to me. 1 Earl Grey, 1 Green and this one. Both Black and Green tea. Then two other companies sent me Green Only Earl Grey and asked that I review them. Needless to say I put them off for a while because this is all new territory for me. So this review will start me on my Green adventure by going easy on me because it has both Black and Green tea but the next two are full on Green tea based. Can I test them the same way? Will my tea background (cough) help me do a good job? But most importantly will I like them? Well fellow EGA'ers, lets find out.<br />
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<b>Aroma</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmwaJ763rHqirVnNEns_RhtWd499rm03Wh4e3-lufrTbzQ8X8e9NyJn1Boi-lTUpk5vmlXhQWHjrHKJwBQ3i5WNiW6mweaq6DWSoKvlMhX2lQZrQOodbDvW4_ybE4qFZsCX6OGa4iYDgUq/s1600/stash1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="903" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmwaJ763rHqirVnNEns_RhtWd499rm03Wh4e3-lufrTbzQ8X8e9NyJn1Boi-lTUpk5vmlXhQWHjrHKJwBQ3i5WNiW6mweaq6DWSoKvlMhX2lQZrQOodbDvW4_ybE4qFZsCX6OGa4iYDgUq/s320/stash1.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
Since you know where I got the tea lets get straight to the box. It's your typical TBDB with alot of information on it. It says organic but also has the round USDA green organic symbol and the Fair Trade logo as well. On the back some information about ecological harmony with regards to farming and on the final side, ingredients, brewing info and another certification for organics this time by QAI. So what is in this tea?<br />
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<i>Blend of organic black and organic green teas with organic oil of bergamot</i></blockquote>
There was one...ok we'll call it weird....thing about the box, it only had 18 bags in it and not the typical 20. If anyone from Stash or anyone else out there knows why they went with 18 instead of 20 let me know. Once you open the box you will find all the bags and each one looks just like the cover of the box with one exception. The bags have both English and French on them. The title, the ingredients and the brewing all have both. Only one language on the box but two for the bags. In my typical engineering thinking I'm going to say that given how close they are to the Canadian boarder (Stash is in Oregon) they put French on the bags to support those across the boarder. So what aroma does it give off? Not much. It has a bit of black tea to it but not much else. Lets move to the brewing.<br />
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<b>Steeping Instructions</b><br />
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<i>To savor the full flavor of our teas, bring fresh water to a rolling boil. Pour hot water directly over the tea bags in a pre-heated pot or cup. Brew 3-5 minutes or to desired taste. </i></blockquote>
Not going to lie I wasn't expecting to see the use of boiling water since there is green tea present. I'm guessing this tea is weighted more towards the black.<br />
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<b>The Results</b><br />
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Starting with the 3 minute steep time I found a lightly colored tea with a nice aroma. The citrus was<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv-66c11ZHNzrz8ueaCs309cdOPIr0D3fc28Qyd5xdb5vLSEg-TYtQsrPMsOVnGpN_q4blnpNqqPrqB8Yr_6Hx14QRhowcOageChcCeuVbDYjUZiMGBfjjhNFfOcB_M9gEPytzOr7JMzav/s1600/stash2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="1000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv-66c11ZHNzrz8ueaCs309cdOPIr0D3fc28Qyd5xdb5vLSEg-TYtQsrPMsOVnGpN_q4blnpNqqPrqB8Yr_6Hx14QRhowcOageChcCeuVbDYjUZiMGBfjjhNFfOcB_M9gEPytzOr7JMzav/s320/stash2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
starting to come out and the two different teas started to give off their own aroma. The flavor was very different then I am use to. I wanna say the green tea was holding it's own against the black but nothing was distinct. Even the bergamot wasn't easily picked out. After the letting the tea cool a bit I noticed the black took over a bit. My initial reaction was kinda neutral. It wasn't Earl Grey as I know it but I couldn't really knock it for it's differences. It just wasn't winning me over.<br />
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Moving onto the 4 minute time had the tea grow darker, and the aroma change. There was definitely more citrus coming through and now the tea had this wonderful sweetness to it. The mix of flavors was really nice. I would say this tea had some complexity. When you drank it you could pick out the different flavors. I must admit, I very much enjoyed this time.<br />
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Ending with the 5 minute time brought more changes. The tea grew darker again but the aroma faded a bit. The sweetness was not as prominent and now the black tea had come forward. The mix of flavors I enjoyed at 4 wasn't there. It was now more of a traditional Earl Grey but not really. If I had to guess I would say the green had either burned off or had become overwhelmed by the black. <br />
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<b>Re-Steeping</b><br />
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I tried but the flavors were completely different from the ones that I enjoyed at the 4 minute time. For me personally, I wouldn't do it.<br />
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<b>Final Thoughts</b><br />
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I am totally surprised by what I drank at the 4 minute time. The sweetness, the complexity and all the rest made this tea something I would definitely enjoy again. Is this a traditional Earl Grey? No way, but if you would like to try something based upon Earl Grey that has a bit more sweetness while not being overpowered then stick with the 4 minute time. Also if you are concerned with what is in your food/drink then this tea ticks all the right organic boxes. As always, if you try this tea please leave a comment so others can learn from your experience. <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01700541283729038299noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1082199957775628955.post-27004702416501477452018-06-23T16:33:00.001-04:002018-06-23T16:33:46.898-04:00Review #72 - Grey's Teas - Earl Grey Tea Blend (loose)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We are back with another review and for this one I tried something different for the photos. Since the beginning I was using plain ol' point and shot cameras. I know, I know but aren't you an engineering and know all that F-stop stuff. Honestly, I've just never got into the whole photography thing. You are going to cringe but when I wanted a certain shot I would just go into manual mode and start changing settings until I get what I want. For those of you who are legitimate picture takers, please forgive me. The most recent camera was my Canon PowerShot ELPH 130 IS. It served its purpose for a long time but now I think it's time to let my phone take over the job. Yeah that's right I took this reviews shots with my trusty Lenovo/Motorola Moto something something something. I used Open Camera and one of those cheapo phone stands that allow you to take pictures with. Feedback on the pictures is always welcome but I think they look a bit better. Onto the review.<br />
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<b>Aroma</b><br />
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This review originated via social media when the fine folks at Grey's Teas contacted me and asked that I review not just one but two of their Earl Grey teas. Needless to say I said yes and here we are with the first. The package arrived from across the pond in jolly ol' England in a nice re-seal-able zip lock bag. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJmLwJFfchd5tJnYP1ESzho57YZdCSrXk6qmBAMJJT6fVmKi16lnelqdqKy1VlYesswvV78N4u6cqDSzWdvCTjQWmydjrdRhmcgl27J1yqlmSWndQ8CkGeUGNPJtfxR1F7tX44rU7GiSjP/s1600/grey1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="1001" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJmLwJFfchd5tJnYP1ESzho57YZdCSrXk6qmBAMJJT6fVmKi16lnelqdqKy1VlYesswvV78N4u6cqDSzWdvCTjQWmydjrdRhmcgl27J1yqlmSWndQ8CkGeUGNPJtfxR1F7tX44rU7GiSjP/s320/grey1.jpg" width="240" /> </a></div>
It clearly states "Sample only" so I will not review the bag only to say, I like that I could reseal it. When you open the bag you get alot of black tea. I could not make out any citrus at all. We've seen this before when the blender follows a certain process and all the aroma is released once brewing begins. So what is in this tea? The bag and their site pretty much say the same thing so here it is:<br />
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<i>"A traditional large leaf blend of China Keemun and Indian Darjeeling with oil of bergamot: an Italian citrus fruit. " </i></blockquote>
I did a bit of looking around their site to make sure I wasn't missing anything since I was sent a sample packet. Sure enough, there was more.<br />
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"Many of our teas are sourced through members of the Ethical Tea Partnership..."<br />
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If you continue reading you'll find our this partnership works to insure all people who produce tea are treated fairly with regards to employment. On one hand this is very cool to see, on the other hand it's sad we need something like this to prevent large companies from taking advantage of those doing the actual work.<br />
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To end this section another thing I noticed was this.<br />
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"Our Earl Grey light bodied due to the teas used, together with the right proportion of bergamot oil giving a refreshing, but not overpowing taste"<br />
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"Tags: Afternoon, Light-bodied, no milk."<br />
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So there will be no guessing on this tea which is very nice. This is a lighter tea and that's the way they intended.<br />
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<b>Steeping Instructions</b><br />
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So I'm going to fess us to not following the directions clearly stated on their site. And I quote:<br />
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"Use one teaspoon per person and infuse for three minutes. Drink without milk"<br />
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Seriously they couldn't be any more clear yet I did what I always did and started with 4 minutes and then 5. I then contacted Grey's and they gave me the steep time I should have just seen on their site.<br />
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<b>The Results</b><br />
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I'm going to start with the wrong steep times and state clearly, this is not what Grey's suggested and <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivRZ4a82GVEcawrrzYuszpLeCg0jwY4ZeGYJDfKlOfTSrW13w1EOKVVpsENr6skGjHzN9nRpPpDlQfYqby_zUGuaGC76wY6q1HW0MHsGEUO8s4I_9dPyRqG6ORzHgrSoptAI0eRAQk8o4G/s1600/grey2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivRZ4a82GVEcawrrzYuszpLeCg0jwY4ZeGYJDfKlOfTSrW13w1EOKVVpsENr6skGjHzN9nRpPpDlQfYqby_zUGuaGC76wY6q1HW0MHsGEUO8s4I_9dPyRqG6ORzHgrSoptAI0eRAQk8o4G/s320/grey2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
any result I got is not their fault. So we'll start with 5, then goto 4, and end with the 3 minute time.<br />
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Starting with the 5 minute time I got a nice dark color with pretty much no citrus aroma. The flavor was pretty much all black tea. For my regular readers they know I enjoy Darjeeling and have reviewed Darjeeling based Earl Grey's before. But since this tea is a blend of two teas the flavor is different but I liked it. Even though I burned off all of the Earl Grey flavor I really liked their choice in black tea. Letting it cool did nothing to change the flavor.<br />
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Moving on to 4 minutes and there was a touch more aroma but still, this tea is clearly not meant to be steeped for this long. The color was pretty much the same as the 5 minute time but the flavor was more distinct Darjeeling. So with my standard 4 and 5 minute steep times being wrong, I moved onto the steep time Grey's suggested. I even contacted them via Twitter to make sure I wasn't messing up even more. They graciously put up with my questions and confirmed the 3 minute time.<br />
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At the 3 minute time the aroma gained a bit more but the flavor was definitely different. No longer was this a black tea only cup. This tea had a third flavor coming through. The color was obviously much lighter and cooling only brought out the tea more and not the added bergamot. For the record, this is probably the lightest Earl Grey I have probably ever tested. But that's exactly what Grey's said they were creating. "light bodied (snip) but not overpowing taste".<br />
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<b>Re-Steeping</b><br />
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Grey's blended this to be a light bodied tea to start with so a second steep is not suggested. Going for a second cup only provided a light Black tea with no citrus flavor at all. <br />
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<b>Final Thoughts</b><br />
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When people/companies send me tea I strive to be as honest as I can because I think everyone wins. My readers win, I win, and to some extent the people sending the tea win because they get an honest review. So when I say this tea was not blended for my preferences I mean it. As you know I prefer a more balanced tea where the bergamot and the tea share in the flavor. But at the same time, Grey's set out to create a certain type of Earl Grey and given how light a blend this is I think they have succeeded. Going back to my wine analogy you can't complain about a Pinot Noir being on the light side because that's what a Pinot Noir is. Is this a good tea? Absolutely yes, I really enjoyed the tea because I already enjoy Darjeeling. Is this to my taste? Nope but I can appreciate what they were going for so if you like a very light bodied Earl Grey then give this tea a try and leave your comments below.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01700541283729038299noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1082199957775628955.post-28301739873846231562018-05-13T17:29:00.000-04:002018-05-13T17:29:14.641-04:00Review #71 - Newman's Own Organics Earl Grey Black Tea (bagged)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
One of the nice things about reviewing this tea is not having to worry about the brand name. I think I can safely say that everyone reading this review, no matter what country they are reading from, has heard of Paul Newman. Either by his work as an actor, director, Indy Car owner and of course his "All profits to Charity" food brand. My kids love his cheese pizza, I enjoy his salsa, so without making any Failure to Communicate references, on with the review.<br />
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<b>Aroma</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikX046ohnl0-lDje_KmvOELbINEr66ss_2CqLCPY7cfHHk0HNzpKU23EyPOutVHG5lZwHxU_U4hv1347RvKbxF_Ny0BK1gOquutuuMh8FP7RGNq-HpNdp0j5UXlNtnKuzAOyHeUFsGTcIl/s1600/new1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="1001" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikX046ohnl0-lDje_KmvOELbINEr66ss_2CqLCPY7cfHHk0HNzpKU23EyPOutVHG5lZwHxU_U4hv1347RvKbxF_Ny0BK1gOquutuuMh8FP7RGNq-HpNdp0j5UXlNtnKuzAOyHeUFsGTcIl/s320/new1.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
The Newman box is not your typical TBDB since it has no retail opening tab. You pull off a strip from the side, open the box and find 20 individually wrapped bags inside. The statement about Newman's Own Foundation and royalties found right next to where the strip is pulled off is the same on the tea bag. I personally like when the steeping instructions are on the bag and on the box but it's hard to complain when the foundation has donated (from the box) over $450 millions dollars to charity. Once you rip one of the bags open you are greeted with a very mild hint of citrus but very little tea aroma. When you take the bags out you will not find any staples which is a good thing. This tea is listed as organic so there will be no metal in this drink. So what is creating such a mild aroma, from the box:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Organic Black Tea, Organic Oil of Bergamot. </i></blockquote>
Needless to say this is like my ultimate ingredients list. Two items, both organic. And not just organic but USDA organic and again from the box:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"Certified by QAI" </i></blockquote>
To end, and to complete this section, the only thing holding the bag and tabs together are knots of string. In my opinion, this should be SOP for all tea houses by now.<br />
<br />
<b>Steeping Instructions</b><br />
<br />
From the hot tea section, on the side of the box:<br />
<br />
1. Bring Fresh water to a rolling boil.<br />
2. Pour water over a tea bag and brew for 3 - 5 minutes.<br />
3. Remove tea bag.<br />
<br />
Good range of times but I will of course stress test this tea.<br />
<br />
<b>The Results</b><br />
<br />
Starting with the 3 minute steep time, I got a very light aroma along with a very light colored tea. The<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwtLwvE5bZW2xmExw5wklqQ0sVj09PLlnLruYrIQV5Ypfzh-v9Q1FmmQ8W4oCa0_2_o4_9JbebGiwbZlm4HE34XxrCm9IUMriSmBzAHljyR5Y8ztRDWLCOXCNzWfxNn4c2dnuWt2EgKSBu/s1600/new2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwtLwvE5bZW2xmExw5wklqQ0sVj09PLlnLruYrIQV5Ypfzh-v9Q1FmmQ8W4oCa0_2_o4_9JbebGiwbZlm4HE34XxrCm9IUMriSmBzAHljyR5Y8ztRDWLCOXCNzWfxNn4c2dnuWt2EgKSBu/s320/new2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
flavor was pretty much what you expect when everything else is so light. Very thin, very bland and no finishing complexity at all. I let the cup cool a bit but nothing changed.<br />
<br />
The 4 minute steep time really didn't improve much. I took pictures of both 3 and 4 and quite honestly couldn't see a difference. The aroma and flavor again matched the color. Very thin, very bland with no finishing changes. Letting the cup cool again did not change anything.<br />
<br />
The final time from the box, 5 minutes, did provide some darkening of the tea but it didn't really improve the flavor. This tea is very thin and very light. It might be one of the lightest teas I've reviewed in a while. Whether that is by design or not I don't know. The only mention of how this tea is supposed to taste is this statement from the box, "This blend offers a crisp refreshing taste sensation [sic]".<br />
<br />
With the above results in mind, I was very curious to see how this tea reacted to my stress testing. The results proved both interesting and surprising. At the 10 minute mark, yes I said 10 minutes, I finally got a tea where there was some balance, an acceptable amount of flavor and a decent color. Mind you this is still a lighter tea but at least at this time it had some Earl Grey flavors. Letting it cool did not improve it.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Re-Steeping </b><br />
<br />
Given how thin this tea is on the first steep I can't suggest it, even those who like a very lite re-steep.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Final Thoughts</b><br />
<br />
Given the brand name I will admit I was expecting a good quality tea. Unfortunately that's not what I got. What I got was an extremely light tea that did not have the flavors I look for in a good Earl Grey. To be honest, I cannot suggest this tea to anyone except those who want an organic tea from a respected company and enjoy very light teas. As always if you have tried this tea please share your thoughts in the comment section below. <br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01700541283729038299noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1082199957775628955.post-92004500682402688162018-04-05T17:16:00.000-04:002018-04-05T17:16:13.461-04:00Review #70 - Trader Joe's Specialty Teas Earl Grey (bagged)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I'll let you in on a little secret, for a while now I've been wondering (incorrectly) if people were giving me #faketeas to "find" and then laughing about it. Well I am here to tell you that -Margarita- was not lying. I actually found the tea in the store and bought it. With my phobia of #faketea now washed away lets get on with the review. A real review, not a fake one. Ok I'll stop with the fake jokes now.<br />
<br />
<b>Aroma </b><br />
<br />
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The tea comes in a TBDB box with a pull off opening strip that reveals a closing tab. Inside are individually wrapped bags in a brown color that matches the boarder around the text boxes. Once you open one up you are met by a mostly tea aroma. If you really hang in there you will eventually pick up some very slight citrus smells but as you can tell from my description, it's not much at all. So what is making this aroma? To the box we go:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"Ingredients: Black tea with Oil of Bergamot"</i></blockquote>
That's not alot to go on but if you take the next few sentences:<br />
<br />
"The oil of Bergamot is derived from the rind of the Bergamot orange. There are no flavors used."<br />
<br />
And add that to Trader Joe's reputation for carrying alot of organic products we can hope this tea is a natural one.<br />
<br />
As for the bag, it's your typical tea bag with no staples found on the bag or tag. It should also be noted that I will not be linking directly to this tea on the TJ's site because even after using their search engine I couldn't find it's location. Moving on.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Steeping Method</b><br />
<br />
Directly from their box:<br />
<br />
"Place one tea bag in an 8oz cup. Add Boiling water and steep 3-5 minutes"<br />
<br />
So that means I will follow their directions and add the typical stress test times.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>The Results</b><br />
<br />
At the 3 minute mark the tea kinda surprised me. Normally this steep time doesn't really give me <br />
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much to talk about but this one had a bit of flavor. It was alot darker then I would normally see at this time, the aroma started to get cranked up and the flavor wasn't bad. I personally like a more balanced tea but for 3 minutes, not bad at all.<br />
<br />
The 4 minute mark showed additional improvements but not much. The color change for me was hard to tell so I had my kids (ah to have young eyes again) compare the 3 and 4 times and they agreed there was a slight darkening. The aroma kinda stayed the same and the taste only improved a bit. I let it cool and it gained a touch of citrus but nothing great.<br />
<br />
At 5 minutes things improved even more. It was noticeably darker, the flavor had more to it but the aroma remained the same. I'm normally a 4 minute guy but so far this tea was at it's best for me at this time. After I let it cool it smoothed out a bit and again added a bit more citrus.<br />
<br />
That brings us to the stress test...... and it passed with flying colors. I made it all the way to 8 minutes without a hint of burning. I also gained some extra flavors and the aroma improved. The tea still could have used a bit more citrus to balance the tea out but at this steep time I think it's safe to say I was getting everything out of this tea.<br />
<br />
<b>Re-Steeping </b><br />
<br />
It depends who you are and how you like your tea. If you are me, then forget getting a second steep. Just let the bag sit for the stress test time and if you want another cup, get another bag. If you prefer a lighter tea then I would go with 5 for the first steep and 5 for the second.<br />
<br />
<b>Final Thoughts</b><br />
<br />
If this tea is created following the Trader Joe way of selling healthy organic food to people at a reasonable price then I would have no problems telling everyone to try this tea. For the price it has a decent range of flavors that should suit many drinkers. As I have said many times, not the balance I personally look for but everyone likes what they like. Also, if we later find out it's being created by some "third" party who doesn't share Trader Joe's healthy views then I would have to reconsider my suggestion. Either way leave a comment if you have tried it.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01700541283729038299noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1082199957775628955.post-5110860212228451382018-03-01T20:25:00.001-05:002018-03-01T20:25:43.055-05:00Review #69 - Suttons of London Earl Grey (bagged)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
As I started uploading everything for this review I had a look at my stats. I do this because I really enjoy seeing all the different places where my visitors are coming from. But then I noticed this number and I did a double take. I convinced myself the number was wrong because I never thought when I started this whole Earl Grey Review thing it would ever get past being my personal log. But oh how wrong I was, I mean are, is....oh never mind. Either way, I have officially past the 200K hits point and I have have all my readers to thank. So everyone in unison raise your cup of Earl Grey and to you I say....Well Done and Thank You!!!!<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Aroma</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
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<div>
The tea comes in a rectangular box minus the dispenser opening wrapped in plastic. When I ripped open the plastic I was met with a huge wave of tea. It appears the plastic was doing it's job of keeping the box all nice and sealed up. From there I took another good breath from one of the bags. The aroma had both citrus and tea but for me it was the citrus that really came through. One of the first interesting things I'll point out, there are no steeping instructions anywhere on the box. I've seen this before so I checked the bags and found nothing. I'll get back to that weird omission and bring you to the bad news. While looking around for the steeping instructions I found a staple on the top of the bag just under the flap. Not good I thought, but at least they don't use staples for the part that goes in the water. Sadly I was wrong. There was a staple keeping the bag closed up and attaching the string to the tag. I've been reviewing teas since 2012 and still find it a bit disappointing when I see staples. Ok, very disappointing. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So what's inside? From the bottom of their box: </div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"Finest quality blend of teas with Bergamot flavour" </i></blockquote>
That doesn't tell us much so next stop, the side with the nutritional facts.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"Pure Ceylon tea </i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Packed in Sri Lanka (Ceylon)"</i></blockquote>
Needless to say, not an encouraging start to this review. Lets move on.<br />
<br />
<b>Steeping Method</b><br />
<br />
To be fair I headed off to their website in search of steeping instruction and found...confusion.<br />
<br />
The website they give on the box doesn't take you to the Suttons home page. You have to search for their site to find it. Once there I couldn't find any steeping instructions so like I said earlier, not something you see very often with tea companies. I'd also also like to point this out:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #a25127; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px;">Suttons of London can produce any own label packaging that you may require and would welcome the opportunity to discuss your requirements. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #a25127; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px;">We can supply all the necessary ingredients needed for you to produce your own successful brand, starting at the initial design stage, right through to the finished product.</span></blockquote>
<br />
So Sutton's is one of those companies that makes tea for others so that means I'm making up my own steeping times.<br />
<br />
3 - 4 - 5 and stress testing.<br />
<br />
<b>The Results</b><br />
<br />
At three minutes this is a very light tea with a light color and a light flavor. The aroma keeps coming<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Q5Hd-xoO88_i-xi6vT8aiCqcMwIax1378MmALGg6tweYRncH_tEzZg73myKLYihs7rjQf0R0PK2bUB0D5427A3RZVjX5uUBx7svIQkAKxOIN2OOX2Dz4lJwtvwNN5215ar6YxcC_k5s5/s1600/sutton2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Q5Hd-xoO88_i-xi6vT8aiCqcMwIax1378MmALGg6tweYRncH_tEzZg73myKLYihs7rjQf0R0PK2bUB0D5427A3RZVjX5uUBx7svIQkAKxOIN2OOX2Dz4lJwtvwNN5215ar6YxcC_k5s5/s320/sutton2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
and it does smell really nice but since we don't know anything about the ingredients, it's hard to get excited. I let the tea cool a bit and instead of gaining some extras this tea lost some fast.<br />
<br />
At four minutes the flavor started to improve while the color got darker. The aroma continued on but it was less citrus and more tea. As stated the color did get darker so we were definitely getting more out of the bag. Again I let the tea cool and again it lost more then it gained.<br />
<br />
At the five minute time, this tea really stepped up in all categories. The color got darker, the flavor improved and the aroma went back to more citrus and less tea. I said it had more flavor but I will point out it didn't gain any complexity, it was just more of the same. Once again I tried cooling and once again the flavor just fell apart.<br />
<br />
Which brings us to stress testing times. The tea made it to about 7 minutes before starting to become bitter. To be perfectly honest, at around the 5.5 to 6 minute mark I found what I considered to be the best this tea could offer. To end, cooling did nothing for this tea except loose all it's flavor.<br />
<br />
<b>Re-Steeping</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
If you like light tea, then maybe you can get two cups out of this but for me once you go past the 5 minute mark you leave little to no flavor left for a second steep. My best attempt, and result, was 4 minutes then 6 minutes but that was really pushing it past where this tea can go.<br />
<br />
<b>Final Thoughts</b><br />
<br />
Yes loyal readers you know what I am going to say. If you are like me and are concerned about where you food is sourced I cannot suggest this tea. You have very little info on both the tea and flavors and you have metal for your steeping pleasure. If you are less concerned with such things, then for the price and the flavor, I would say give it a try and see if you like it. If you do be sure to leave a comment so others can learn from your experience.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01700541283729038299noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1082199957775628955.post-9884711064672871502018-01-16T20:30:00.000-05:002018-01-16T20:30:47.396-05:00Review #68 - Zest Tea Earl Grey (bagged)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
For today's tea review it looks like I need to add a few things to my typical protocol. Normally caffeine level is not something I discuss for a whole host of reasons. I don't have any way to test it, no one really talks about it, etc, etc. But this tea uses their caffeine level as part of it's marketing approach. On the front of their bag they have "As much caffeine as coffee*" statement so for me that means I need to cover it.<br />
<br />
The other addition is price. Again most tea boxes come in around the same price give or take a dollar. This tea is almost twice as much as other teas I have reviewed and will review. For this tea I paid 7.99 plus tax for 15 pyramid bags. Because of this I will add my opinion into the Final Thoughts section on value. Onto the review.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Aroma </b><br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtPkI8MJsHOWSeRbT2_cq6ClsQt_0gvNOBIGYFcleOdFuANp8EFVsBYlVYAbe65iuPInG3JgTPOPQGbkM4ys0b4LcxTk6jFPTu4S3lQV8oGIcWXF1G2BATRuhr9-7JfShC1TqVnX_JZ_tW/s1600/zest1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="1001" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtPkI8MJsHOWSeRbT2_cq6ClsQt_0gvNOBIGYFcleOdFuANp8EFVsBYlVYAbe65iuPInG3JgTPOPQGbkM4ys0b4LcxTk6jFPTu4S3lQV8oGIcWXF1G2BATRuhr9-7JfShC1TqVnX_JZ_tW/s320/zest1.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
The tea comes in a zip lock bag where you rip off the top section in order to use the zip lock feature. Once through, you will be greeted by 15 pyramids. Because this type of bag is really flexible I was able to size up about how much tea is inside. I then verified what I found by ripping one open and actually measuring it. I found about 2 grams of tea. This turns out to be a pretty standard weight because nearly every green tea I have has 2 grams as it's typical serving size. The aroma when you first open the packaging is big on citrus and very small on tea. As you take more in the tea starts to come through. <br />
<br />
So what is in this tea that gives it the aroma it has? From the bag:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Flowery orange pekoe black tea, tea extract, natural begamot flavor</i></blockquote>
If I were a betting man I would guess that the tea extract part is where the extra caffeine comes from. Which brings us to the next quote from the bag:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>L-Theanine, a rare amino acid found in Zest Tea helps prolong the energy and alertness while reducing the jitters and crash associated with most caffeinated products. </i></blockquote>
Again if I were a betting man I would double down on their tea extract as the source of the caffeine and the amino. Now to be fair, it's been a long time since I took my last chemistry class so I did some research:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Tea is known to be a rich source of flavonoid antioxidants. However tea
also contains a unique amino acid, L-theanine that may modulate aspects
of brain function in humans.</i></blockquote>
source: <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18296328" target="_blank">ncbi.nlm.nih.gov</a><br />
<br />
Needless to say I read the entire article and a few others but this falls way outside my engineering background so I will just say, this is one of the more unique teas I've tried ingredient wise.<br />
<br />
<b>Steeping Method</b><br />
<br />
Directly from their bag:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Use boiling water and steep for 4-5 minutes </i></blockquote>
<br />
Given the level of caffeine I only added a 6 minute stress test to their times.<br />
<br />
<b>The Results</b><br />
<br />
For this section please be aware that I did not perform this review in one sitting<br />
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like most other teas. Given the level of caffeine in this tea I didn't think that was a wise move. Also I don't drink coffee but I love a good espresso so I will use that as my caffeine comparison.<br />
<br />
At the 4 minute steep time I found a lightly colored tea with a nice citrus aroma. The flavor was more citrus and less tea leaving me wanting a more balanced Earl Grey. I was looking to see if the flavor changed at all but there were no changes during the cooling. What you started with flavor wise was what you kept which means no complexity. As for the caffeine, it felt like an average shot of espresso.<br />
<br />
At the 5 minute steep time the color didn't really change all that much, the aroma continued to be enjoyable but the flavor was about the same. What wasn't the same was the caffeine level. This time had me feeling a bit jittery but no worse then a double shot of espresso during a ride or before a workout.<br />
<br />
At the 6 minute steep time the color did get a bit darker, there was about the same citrus aroma and the caffeine again went to the next level. The flavor was very citrus driven, still not balanced, but better. Cooling didn't change anything and there was no complexity. I was unwilling to finish the cup in one sitting and really had to take my time with this one. Obviously this is not what Zest suggested but as you know, we always stress test so there it is. <br />
<br />
<b>Re-Steeping</b><br />
<br />
Given how the level of caffeine is a selling point for this tea I can understand if Zest doesn't suggest it. It's not listed on their bag but that is my guess. I tried the 4 minute bag and got a very thin tea when I went 5 minutes for the second steep. I personally wouldn't do it but it is possible. <br />
<br />
<b>Final Thoughts</b><br />
<br />
This tea clearly has it sights set on getting people who drink tea for one reason (calm, zen, etc) and coffee (energy, zing, etc) for another to reconsider that choice. With catch phrases like "The rush without the grind" and "Not your grandma's tea" they are really going after the coffee drinkers. It's funny because back in the day, before espresso, I use to drink a Celestial Seasonings tea that was highly caffeinated before my workouts. This tea reminds me of that except in Earl Grey flavoring. So what are my final thoughts? As for the caffeine it's nice having an Earl Grey flavored pre-workout option if you don't mind a thin tea. My big concern is the price. At over 8 dollars for 15 servings it's not the cheapest tea out there but it's a heck of alot better for you then one of those canned energy drinks with all their sugar and chemicals. (Whether it's cheaper then homemade espresso is unknown) So I will leave this one up to you and end by saying, if you don't want/like coffee but want the caffeine boost, I'd check it out. If nothing else I know one thing, following this review I know my workout will go longer. <br />
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01700541283729038299noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1082199957775628955.post-23599907684317699332017-11-21T17:20:00.000-05:002017-11-21T17:20:36.621-05:00Review #67 - Adagio Teas Earl Grey Bravo (loose)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So let's say one of my loyal readers, lets call her Jean...well because that's her real name...contacted/emailed a well known tea house that specializes in organic and fair trade tea. And lets say that Jean asked a rather pointed question about how teas are labelled. But instead of the tea house shying away they handed it over to their person in charge of "<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica"; font-size: 13.3333px;">labeling and certifications</span>" and the answer returned turned out to be pure gold. Well that's what really happened.<br />
<br />
To be honest I delayed posting this review until I heard back from Jean. I originally was just going to put their response in this pre-amble area but when I saw how well written the response was I knew I needed to add another page so we can easily reference it. So if you look up to my menu, you will see a new page called -> Label Info. On this page you will find the response from Aubrey of Arbor Teas where she explains all the intricacies of labeling. It's crazy good. Heck maybe someone from across the Pond (UK, India, etc) can contact me with info on how their country regulates their labeling so I can add that to the page as well.<br />
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Finally, and before I start this review I would like to send a huge EGA thank you over to Jean at DelightfulRepast.com for taking the time and effort in sending out that first email and getting me the permission so everyone can benefit from Aubrey's knowledge.<br />
<br />
<b>Aroma </b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI2zRs19HQuUVbGPuGFKpb_ocFj49DiLLu2c9alz1GV0RumTRZzKwCMg4OMEPaYLACKQjZlRS8wxBpgSlWK3E4jAkzG_OWsQYkDU0zf9cenYeUIppLZ7zBxYBTozAMgUAJNNN9CvWxNN7G/s1600/ad1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="1001" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI2zRs19HQuUVbGPuGFKpb_ocFj49DiLLu2c9alz1GV0RumTRZzKwCMg4OMEPaYLACKQjZlRS8wxBpgSlWK3E4jAkzG_OWsQYkDU0zf9cenYeUIppLZ7zBxYBTozAMgUAJNNN9CvWxNN7G/s320/ad1.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
So I get this email about reviewing tea from Adagio BUT they kinda knew of my traditionalist slant with regards to Earl Grey. But to Adagio's credit they told me right up front "we want you to try something a bit different." After a bit of back and forth I settled on this tea because it's only extra ingredient is Orange Peels. So when an .8oz sized bag came in I knew I would be able to play around and really have fun testing this blend. The bag is a resealable zip lock type bag where you rip off the top and it leaves the zip part behind. I purposely took the picture a bit low to hide my horrible ripping job. Seriously, I couldn't have screwed this up any worse then I did. When opened I was met with a nice fresh smell and at first got nothing but bergamot then a wave of orange and then the black tea. So what are the ingredients? From their bag:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Black Tea, Orange Peels, Natural Earl Grey Flavor</i></blockquote>
<br />
So as I alluded to before we have three ingredients instead of my typical two. Would this mess with my review process? Would I like it? Would I hate it? Well lets find out.<br />
<br />
<b>Steeping Method</b><br />
<br />
The bag says the following:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Steeping: 1 teaspoon per cup | 2-3 mins @ 212F / 100C</i></blockquote>
Obviously I'd be following their suggestions but given how much tea they sent I was going to also use 4, 5 and 6 minutes and maybe just maybe I'd even stress test it.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>The Results</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Starting with the 2minute time I found a thin Earl Grey with a little orange flavor. As the tea cooled the Earl Grey/bergamot was replaced with the orange. The color was very good given how short a steep time this was but it went from an Earl Grey to something else.<br />
<br />
At the 3 minute time I found more orange and much less bergamot/Earl Grey. The color was a bit darker and the aroma was of both orange and black tea. As this time frame cooled the orange came out even more leaving no Earl Grey.<br />
<br />
Moving on to 4 minutes brought out chaos. No seriously, this time couldn't decide what it wanted to be and that was due to the balance being off. It was like the bergamot and orange where fighting for control and it wasn't working. It should be repeated, Adagio did not suggest this time on their bag so we can't blame them for this result. To be honest we can't blame them for the next two as well.<br />
<br />
That brings me to 5 minutes. At this time the tea had a much stronger Earl Grey aroma but it had <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8e2pHXn-T0Wbtn-qPiod6hJyKkpY6XeWpLG3LCn54CwfN4RA0zzheUikV_GxfXkwpw-FIG09wvkLq47Y4tpiL-QwT5ivjAKc07GnT-mAVASnyIh3bKW8TIetIHPoirQRWXHnYCGwA1WTy/s1600/ad2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8e2pHXn-T0Wbtn-qPiod6hJyKkpY6XeWpLG3LCn54CwfN4RA0zzheUikV_GxfXkwpw-FIG09wvkLq47Y4tpiL-QwT5ivjAKc07GnT-mAVASnyIh3bKW8TIetIHPoirQRWXHnYCGwA1WTy/s320/ad2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
more orange flavors right after steeping. The color was one of the darkest but when it cooled that's when I found what I wanted. That's right, at 5 minutes, and after letting it cool, I was treated to an Earl Grey that was on the thin side but one that I found familiar. The balance was pretty good and I probably liked it the best because the orange had "burned" off. This steep time practically forced me to go for 6.<br />
<br />
We are so far beyond what Adagio suggests its not even funny but guess what, at this time it pretty much starts out as an Earl Grey. The balance was good even though the flavor was still on the thin side. As it cooled I picked up a hint of orange but that helped to mellow the bergamot and create this rather smooth flavor. Some where at Adagio there is a tea blender who is screaming at the screen as they read this, "you are ruining my tea. " To be honest they have a point. <br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Re-Steeping</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
I have no idea what to tell you. At every steep time there was a change in flavors as the tea cooled. The two times I liked the best didn't allow it because I pushed this tea way past where it should go. But at the same time the shorter steeps kinda produced thinner versions of the initial flavors.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Final Thoughts</b><br />
<br />
This tea should be called Schrodinger's cat given it's ability to be two different teas almost at once. Want to start fruity with more orange and less bergomot but still want a bit more Earl Grey when it cools, no problem. Or do you want Earl Grey right from the beginning but then let some orange back in at the end. This tea can do that too. But do I like it? Well it's not technically a traditional Earl Grey but Adagio was completely honest and told me that right away. Curse you duality where is Bohr when you need him. So did I like it? Yes. When it's more orange it was nicely balanced because the orange didn't over power the black tea. When I changed the steeping times to get more of a traditional Earl Grey it was on the lighter side but still everything came through and it was enjoyable. So there you have it, my first quantum response. I think. Maybe.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01700541283729038299noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1082199957775628955.post-36986534709104772182017-09-25T17:46:00.000-04:002017-10-04T18:21:33.250-04:00Review #66 - Red Rose Earl Grey (bagged)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
If you have been reading my twitter posts you'll know I had started this review some time ago. Then an immediate family member entered the hospital and stayed for 8days. The person is fine. They are getting stronger each day and are looking to make a full recovery. Needless to say everyone's life was put on hold. If you emailed me, I'm still working my way through the emails. To the two companies that sent me tea for review, you are still in the Que in the order I originally told you things are, just pushed back. Thank you everyone for your understanding. I will assume ( bad idea) everyone reading this may consider sending me a supporting email. Thank you very much but please take that time and use it to volunteer at your local hospital instead. There are many people, kids included, who could use a friendly visit.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Aroma</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7gjjt0pBVnnDLygKs7NWjtHlYFx-l33KEn9vnLso5lNf7LR4zAkp-nqWbC24Wb4Rf2QZdnFlhNi5D3J1uI8tTNtJhQTVjLch2ZetGAM8wEg_6K3YgSbS7heBVCBywReHWs7hcoEwGAygm/s1600/RR1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="1001" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7gjjt0pBVnnDLygKs7NWjtHlYFx-l33KEn9vnLso5lNf7LR4zAkp-nqWbC24Wb4Rf2QZdnFlhNi5D3J1uI8tTNtJhQTVjLch2ZetGAM8wEg_6K3YgSbS7heBVCBywReHWs7hcoEwGAygm/s320/RR1.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
For this review the marketing people went with the typical US mega sizing. That's right, this box goes to 11. Actually it holds 40 bags instead of your typical 20. The box is not your typical TBDB because there is no dispenser hole at the bottom. Not to mention this box is not opened while the box is in portrait mode. More like it's laying down with the cover opening up. Have a look at the picture and it will all make sense.<br />
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The box was wrapped in clear plastic but I could not detect any aroma prior to opening. Once opened I found all 40 bags individually wrapped in their own paper wraps. On the back side of the wrap I found the "Lift Here" sign so I opened to find something I thought we had gotten rid of. Yup you guessed it, a staple. Now to be fair, the staple connects the string to the tag and not to the bag it self. So technically if you keep the tag/label out of your water you won't be drinking metal. But why do this when you can just use the string to tie off the tag/label? Not to mention I can't just throw this bag into my compost until I remove the metal. So I'll admit I was disappointed to see this.<br />
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As for the aroma itself, there wasn't alot going on. We've seen teas in the past with very light aroma's but this is definitely on the very low end. No citrus, just a bit of tea. So what's inside creating this aroma? From the box:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Black Tea, Natural Bergamot Flavor with other natural flavors, orange peel and lemon peel. </i></blockquote>
To my regular readers you know what is coming next. (deep breath) "Other natural flavors"?? What is that? Next, this is not Earl Grey at least not in the traditional sense. I didn't buy this box, someone who knows what I do got it for me. To be honest it was more like "Hey I saw a box you haven't reviewed yet should I pick it up for you?" "Thanks I'll pay you back." Few days later, person hands me the box and after I read the ingredients I go "oh well." So I guess the only thing left to do is continue this review.<br />
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<br />
<b>Steeping Method</b><br />
<br />
From both the back of the box and the back of the bag here are their suggestions:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Pour boiling water over tea bag. Brew 3 to 5 minutes. </i></blockquote>
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With 40 bags at my testing disposal I tested 3, 4, 5, 6 and my typical stress test. <br />
<br />
<br />
<b>The Results</b><br />
<br />
I will start at the 3 minute mark. The color was very light to go along with the<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHbGHw7usZvvWBeluKMltqf83ARyaGmicKoHFNlVH6wkV9l2QZQcb6pW71r6RqtvZ7oJzJMPcbrAvUk2_olsVFzm3zt2kWgnZfzEVy101IP46syV9iZEAnF-nta_CxbGYmfOy5f1YFKfU6/s1600/RR2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHbGHw7usZvvWBeluKMltqf83ARyaGmicKoHFNlVH6wkV9l2QZQcb6pW71r6RqtvZ7oJzJMPcbrAvUk2_olsVFzm3zt2kWgnZfzEVy101IP46syV9iZEAnF-nta_CxbGYmfOy5f1YFKfU6/s320/RR2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
aroma. Once the brewing process started I immediately picked up on the orange and lemon in the tea. Normally I would talk about how it tasted with regards to Earl Grey but it didn't taste like an Earl Grey. This only increased when I let it cool. The bergamot was just overwhelmed by the other citrus.<br />
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At the 4 minute mark the color got a bit darker but the flavor of this tea didn't change. It was just a stronger, and not by much, version of what the 3 minute gave me.<br />
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At 5 minutes I started to get some bergamot coming through to go along with the increased color and aroma. But as it cooled the flavor changed back to the orange and lemon ending all Earl Grey flavor.<br />
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At 6 minutes the color darkened and a bit more bergamot could be tasted but it was still in the background. Just like before as the tea cooled you lost the Earl Grey flavor and it changed to a black tea with a lemon on top. If I recall correctly, it's how Number Six liked his tea.<br />
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That leaves us with the stress test, just leaving the bag in. To my surprise, this tea past with flying colors...with one major exception. The tea never tasted burnt even though I let it go all the way to around 8-9 minutes. The problem is, it technically never tasted like a traditional Earl Grey. At this point the only flavors coming through were the orange and lemon. Letting it cool only cemented this fact.<br />
<br />
<b>Re-Steeping</b><br />
<br />
If you like this teas flavor then I guess you can but it will be light. But if you are looking for a second cup of Earl Grey, you won't get it so there really is no point.<br />
<br />
<b>Final Thoughts</b><br />
<br />
Everyone who reads my reviews knows I would like the tea industry to standardize their names, especially blends like Earl Grey. To me this tea is not Earl Grey but they call it that. I'm also not a fan of what is or is not in my tea and I'm also not a fan of their metal tag connections. To end, if you are looking for an Earl Grey as I enjoy them, I cannot suggest this tea. If you want to try something that has extra flavors in it, with the unknown stuff, and the staples..... well I guess that's up to you. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01700541283729038299noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1082199957775628955.post-63301126246381231312017-07-26T18:45:00.000-04:002017-10-04T18:21:09.416-04:00Review #65 - Typhoo Earl Grey Tea (bagged)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So we are back reviewing another tea that I bought, and then as luck would have it someone else bought it for me. I took that as a sign that maybe, just maybe I should review this tea next. Even more interesting, the tea comes from across the pond, jolly ol' England, but is apparently quite easy to find in the US of A. As proof I bought it from one place and the other person bought it in another store in a different state. That was enough for me. On with the review.<br />
<br />
<b>Aroma</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOTXFOsRqggN-sI5iHwHYNXoryrieuaw-N4hkgGoUM8BnnVwpF9t4x6cBjk1iLIlL7EZrT7V4yhjBLRDhxLGVViyZACSXSbq52FG3KRoqwSRm2kS_3qJ6aKf8CXMDsmyo6EP1Y5jSWuKc2/s1600/typhoo1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="1001" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOTXFOsRqggN-sI5iHwHYNXoryrieuaw-N4hkgGoUM8BnnVwpF9t4x6cBjk1iLIlL7EZrT7V4yhjBLRDhxLGVViyZACSXSbq52FG3KRoqwSRm2kS_3qJ6aKf8CXMDsmyo6EP1Y5jSWuKc2/s320/typhoo1.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
The box is technically not a TBDB because there is no front panel punch out but it looks just like one. When you open the top you are greeted by a silver/fin foil bag which contains all 20 tea bags. After opening up the bag I decided to take in the aroma from the whole thing. To keep things fair I also planned to remove a bag and just smell that one alone but there was no need. The foil bag smelled of black tea and not much else, and even that wasn't strong. Since I had two boxes I opened it up and performed the same procedure and got the same results. For my regular readers, aroma doesn't make or break a tea. I just have very few with no Bergamot aroma. So lets look at the ingredients to see what we have.<br />
<br />
From the box:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Black Tea(98.7%), Flavouring(1.3%)</i></blockquote>
My initial reaction to this was, pure delight. We have precise percentages. We are finally getting to see what is in the teas I review. This will be great. No more hidden industry secrets, we'll know it all.<br />
<br />
Then my engineering brain kicked in and quickly squashed my initial reaction. No tea information of any kind and no information on the bergamot included. So I checked the rest of the box and found this:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Bursting with flavour<br />No artificial colours or preservatives</i></blockquote>
I don't want to sound harsh but looks like something some American companies do; Try our TEA - "It Doesn't Contain Wheat or Soy". Ummmm, it never did so what's the point? Best we move on to the steeping section.<br />
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<br />
<b>Steeping Method</b><br />
<br />
From the side of the box<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Use one bag per cup<br />Add freshly boiled water<br />Infuse for 2-3 minutes<br />Enjoy with or without milk</i></blockquote>
So given how much of this tea I have, I'm going 2, 3, 4, 5 minutes and then my typical stress test.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>The Results</b><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu6XOSMeczL8RzG-uf4hAcgSswuZWIJUkzYpEKrgTaYDKucJOZVeB9EFjGLuBrUdjsFn9VhPOxUPCzBZkFiCbpmy9qlciJAHv1cHFDJX2QGY0HW6kY6X4URvWPgpovsHEdePnuULxIHzRE/s1600/typhoo2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu6XOSMeczL8RzG-uf4hAcgSswuZWIJUkzYpEKrgTaYDKucJOZVeB9EFjGLuBrUdjsFn9VhPOxUPCzBZkFiCbpmy9qlciJAHv1cHFDJX2QGY0HW6kY6X4URvWPgpovsHEdePnuULxIHzRE/s320/typhoo2.jpg" width="320" /></a>I decided to work my way up so I began with 2 minutes. The tea color was extremely light, there was still no aroma, and the flavor was just black tea. After letting it cool the flavor did not change. I then moved onto the 3 minute time and found pretty much the same thing. Lite color, no bergamot flavor and only black tea. And a lite black tea at that. So I moved onto the 3 minute time frame and hoped for more flavor. Sadly the only thing that really changed was a bit of color in the water and a bit more black tea flavor. Cooling did not provide any improvements.<br />
<br />
At the 4 minute time I finally started to pick up some citrus flavor but I would not define this tea as "bursting with flavour" at all. The balance was still mostly black tea, the color was still very lite and cooling again did not provide any improvements. That left only the 5 minute time and as you might have guessed by now, little to no real improvement. At this point in the review I guess we can safely say that 1.3% of bergamot flavoring does not make a well balanced Earl Grey. The side of the box describes this tea as:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Deliciously balanced and fragrant blend</i></blockquote>
Regrettably I was unable to obtain that type of tea in any of the above steep times. Which means the only thing left to do was the stress testing and at 8 1/4 minutes this tea started to give off a burnt taste so I stopped. I tried the tea at 6 minutes and at 7 minutes and at best I could describe this Earl Grey as Very Light.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Re-Steeping</b><br />
<br />
Given how lite this tea is, unless you are looking only for a cup of black tea, I would not suggest it.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Final Thoughts</b><br />
<br />
I didn't tell you where I got my box nor did I tell you where the other box came from because I wanted to give this tea a fair review. But it should be stated that the place I purchased it from is known for 2 runs. Meaning if you want cheap import knock offs of things like tools, outdoor furniture, etc, this is the place. The other box came from a different store but again, not first run stuff. Sadly the review did not uncover a diamond in the rough, instead it matched the incredibly cheap price tag. Because of this, I cannot suggest this tea to anyone.<br />
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Note: While adding the url link for this tea to my list a few things caught my attention. The steep times were different, there was more info on the site about what kinds of black teas were used and the price; .99 British pounds for a box of 20.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01700541283729038299noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1082199957775628955.post-34069689097789061372017-05-09T21:27:00.000-04:002017-10-04T18:20:47.879-04:00Review #64 - Care Tea Early Grey (bagged) <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So lets start this whole write up with the answer to the question that's on everyone's mind.....where have I been? I guess the cliff note version is this; Don't ever get involved in your son's Robotics Club never mind run it. Huh? I know, what does tea have to do with Robotics? Only that one totally takes over your life and doesn't allow for anything else. If that's all you need then skip the next part and head straight to the review. For the rest of you curious types hang on it's going to be a fun ride.<br />
<br />
Last year after much prompting from many different people, I started a robotics club at my sons school. The principle found some funds and away we went. Our first year was a learning year and to be honest the team only wanted to play RoboWars. I.e. smash things together. Year 2 rolls around and the maturity of the team jumps up. After more instruction the idea of entering a competition is considered. We are given a green light and a local competition is found. From there we read the rules, built a bot and practiced alot all in about two and half months. Our plan, was try not to finish last. Not only did we not finish last but we ended up in second place after the preliminary rounds. We then ended up in 1st place after the finals round with another team. This qualified us for Regionals. In our 2nd act of pure panic, we upgraded our bot, practiced even more and at Regionals, finished 1st after the preliminary round, won the overall, ended up winning 3 trophys, and received an invite to the Vex Worlds Robotics competition in Louisville, KY. Then things really got crazy. We were featured in a local newspapers, built yet another robot in order to compete at the next level, worked on getting funding (think GoFundMe), got our own logo, got shirts, booked flights and hotels, and oh did I mention we had to build another bot and practiced alot? So there you have it, the reason for my absence. The only thing bad about this whole affair, I still don't know whether Androids dream of electric sheep. Sigh. Onto the review.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Aroma</b><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Oj8oEArlX6f3bsxbjcSFW5ldvU2zWrXY2aBWhyphenhyphenUwYGrEclLuYtrWmNJbTBcwnOeRtbKLn7qDuv33H9Jq31Iylya6Pfm3TKeXYXurqDvCbSiBrK1i_-x2LAo58HiLJ57pUwMyNl3qu8cO/s1600/care1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Oj8oEArlX6f3bsxbjcSFW5ldvU2zWrXY2aBWhyphenhyphenUwYGrEclLuYtrWmNJbTBcwnOeRtbKLn7qDuv33H9Jq31Iylya6Pfm3TKeXYXurqDvCbSiBrK1i_-x2LAo58HiLJ57pUwMyNl3qu8cO/s320/care1.jpg" width="240" /></a>The box is your basic TBDB variety and the bags found within come wrapped in a paper pouch. Once you rip one open you will not find any staples or snaps of any kind. As for aroma, there is some but I did notice how some bags had more while others had less. It's mostly a tea smell but if you linger a bit you can pick up some citrus. It was very light so I almost wonder if I was willing myself to get it. What is making this tea smell the way it does? From the box:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Fair Trade Certified Organic Black tea, Organic Bergamot. </i></blockquote>
<br />
It should be noted that also on the side of the box is this: Care Tea is distributed by Numi Inc. Another nice bit of info is on the other side. There you will find the NON GMO label, the fair trade label and the USDA Organic label. Needless to say I love seeing those. But we are not through. If you look at the bottom you will find information about Care Tea's Eco Care Audit which is not something you see everyday. If only all tea makers provided such relevant information.<br />
<br />
<b>Steeping Method</b><br />
<br />
From their box and in a mere three words:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Steep 4 Mins</i></blockquote>
With only one time given I added 5 minutes and my typical stress testing.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>The Results</b><br />
<br />
To be fair I started at the 4 minute time. The color was light to medium, the aroma was alot more then when I first tested it and the first tastes were pretty good. As the box says this is a light tea and not one with an overwhelming bergamot flavor. As the tea cooled it gained a bit extra citrus which was a nice surprise.<br />
<br />
Next up, the 5 minute steep time. As expected the color darkened up a bit more, the aroma grew a bit<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfU_9JmKNKExjPQTGcuPR_ZqimwadNBL4_iP9qwqZe66CXM6lQqk9yguC49IihvyQn7CNLzI_Ddtdssp45QNJOgiVGaPj9Dx1qJbBtOBXgxFuMI-eLFAX75EqKHeOt8-UH28ZRNSeLVvrw/s1600/care2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfU_9JmKNKExjPQTGcuPR_ZqimwadNBL4_iP9qwqZe66CXM6lQqk9yguC49IihvyQn7CNLzI_Ddtdssp45QNJOgiVGaPj9Dx1qJbBtOBXgxFuMI-eLFAX75EqKHeOt8-UH28ZRNSeLVvrw/s320/care2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
and the flavor was a bit more balanced. The bergamot was more pronounced then at 4 minutes but I could have still used an increase for more balance. As the tea cooled and unlike the 4 minutes time, it didn't gain any citrus. It was still on the light side but still a good cup of Earl Grey.<br />
<br />
That leaves only the stress test and guess what? It passed. Seriously, I left the bag in the cup for well over 7 minutes while I was testing and it was only after 8 or 9 minutes that I really started to taste a change in the flavor. To be honest this was my favorite. The bergamot was the strongest it was going to be, the aroma was stronger and the color was even darker. This was obviously not how Care Tea had intended anyone to drink this tea but I liked it.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Re-Steeping</b><br />
<br />
Given the "hint" of bergamot to start I don't suggest a second step especially if you go with my stress test method. But if you really want to I would do 4 for the first and let it sit for the second. It will be even lighter but that shouldn't surprise anyone.<br />
<br />
<b>Final Thoughts</b><br />
<br />
As the expression goes, this tea ticks all the boxes. Organic, Fair Trade, No GMOs, and the right packaging. They said right on the box, "A hint of bergamot orange" so it's hard for me to ask for something the tea is not. Yes I would have preferred a more balanced tea but that's not how they blended it. So if you prefer a lighter Earl Grey and like knowing exactly what is in your cup of tea, I would definitely give it a try. <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01700541283729038299noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1082199957775628955.post-83072609659776750592017-01-24T21:08:00.000-05:002017-01-24T21:08:55.354-05:00Review #63 - Wissotzky Tea Imperial Earl Grey (bagged)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
"Houston we have a problem." Or should I say we've had a few problems? Either way I should apologize for taking so long to get this next review out. I did something different this time and gave my twitter followers the choice of picking my next review. I then planned to do the review during the Christmas break (Happy New Year everyone) which was not a good idea. Surprise, surprise, I was way busy and never got to it. Then we hit the next bump in the road and the review almost didn't happened. So after some thought, I decided to move forward. But before I begin I'm going to take a deep breath, and try not to rant.<br />
<br />
The tea I am reviewing today was given to me by a friend. This friend is not an Earl Grey fan nor are they tea drinkers. But given the friend title they were nice enough to find and then pick this tea up for me after checking my site. I didn't think anything of it until the actual review began. With my apologizes to Wissotzky, I really feel the tea industry needs some standardization because this tea contains cornflower but it doesn't state that point anywhere except the back. To be fair I will raise my hand and say, "ok, I should have checked before I started this review" and admit fault. But the industry as a whole needs to settle on some distinct names. I saw the word IMPERIAL and didn't even consider looking at the ingredients because other Imperials from other tea houses don't have cornflower. My friend doesn't really drink tea yet if they had grabbed this and tasted it, they would have thought this is what Earl Grey is. With all of that said, you can probably guess how this review is going to go.<br />
<br />
<b>Aroma</b><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizuAtf1vpcG4mCYYfsq1bPp_zgwAfADA_VoBXXH3k4iOAdt2VGnHWhX5Lr8Oz0Yq3uOPCoVoUNRbG-TwqqD4X0-278qFCwgmZ3-2F681AvxSpGPQ-UyL4EBEEaW3ilWgwXj038m4cLRJMV/s1600/wtea1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizuAtf1vpcG4mCYYfsq1bPp_zgwAfADA_VoBXXH3k4iOAdt2VGnHWhX5Lr8Oz0Yq3uOPCoVoUNRbG-TwqqD4X0-278qFCwgmZ3-2F681AvxSpGPQ-UyL4EBEEaW3ilWgwXj038m4cLRJMV/s320/wtea1.jpg" width="240" /></a>The box is a bit different then your typical TBDB because this one has this nice overlapping cover and no area at the bottom to push out for individual sales. Once you open the box you will find a foil pouch which holds all of their "silky pyramid tea bags". The aroma is not like typical Earl Greys because the cornflower changes things. I also wondered if the foil bag could be used to keep the bags fresh. After looking at the side of the box, it's apparent they did not design the pouch for that because they suggest you store it in an airtight container. As an aside, I think the amount of glue used to keep the tag stuck to the bag is too much. I ripped open 2 different bags until I finally learned to slowly peel it off.<br />
<br />
So what is in this tea? From the box:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Selected Ceylon tea, cornflower blossom and bergamot flavor. </i></blockquote>
You know what I am going to say about the word "flavor" so I'll just get it over with. Not knowing what is actually in my tea is not a good thing. <br />
<br />
<b>Steeping Method</b><br />
<br />
From their box:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Pour freshly boiled water over the teabag, leave the tea tag out and allow to brew for 3-5 minutes or until the beverage reaches desired strength. </i></blockquote>
<br />
<b>The Results</b><br />
<br />
At the 3minute mark I was met with a lighter color and aroma of a tea that has cornflower. I let it cool for a bit but the cornflower flavor didn't diminish. The tea was definitely weighted towards the cornflower and tea and the bergamot got lost in the mix.<br />
<br />
At the 4minute mark the color darkened a bit and the cornflower really took over. If you held the tea in your mouth for a bit you could just about pick up on the citrus. The tea was still unbalanced with the cornflower and black tea drowning out the bergamot.<br />
<br />
At the 5minute mark this tea started to act like other teas I have tried that had cornflower. Meaning the cornflower flavor was starting to burn off. So I went to 6 minutes and even though I started to pick up some stronger flavors, burning maybe, I could taste the bergamot/ citrus a slight bit.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Re-Steeping</b><br />
<br />
Given my preferences, I went straight to the 5 minute time for my first steep in an attempt to burn off<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZNPFd-H6y1d1t335Zk0O1cqUOsJSRB0cm76bXbF6fKSUdvlBXXZmIIsuOGsso5aKLRA-RP-8xy4YUjfyTV-YwNlOnv5-n_KlnJIqZq68E_v8u1gsWXxPgwX7T0S74Qg5gaKRS0K9gQYbT/s1600/wtea2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZNPFd-H6y1d1t335Zk0O1cqUOsJSRB0cm76bXbF6fKSUdvlBXXZmIIsuOGsso5aKLRA-RP-8xy4YUjfyTV-YwNlOnv5-n_KlnJIqZq68E_v8u1gsWXxPgwX7T0S74Qg5gaKRS0K9gQYbT/s320/wtea2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
the cornflower and another 4 minutes for the second steep. What ever cornflower they used could not be burned off so my experiment didn't work.<br />
<br />
<b>Final Thoughts</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Just to repeat, I almost didn't do this review because I went in knowing the results before the first bubbles ever formed in my electric pot. I'm not a fan of cornflower and I honestly believe that anything listed as Earl Grey should only contain two ingredients; Black tea and bergamot. If companies wish to try new things, go for it just please label them properly. If you like cornflower in your tea and don't mind not really knowing what ingredients are being used, try it. If you are more of a traditional Earl Grey drinker and believe you should know everything in your tea, then I would skip this one. <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01700541283729038299noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1082199957775628955.post-19717464545185518422016-10-22T14:26:00.000-04:002017-02-09T11:24:30.926-05:00Review #62 - The Kent and Sussex Tea and Coffee Company Earl Grey Darjeeling (loose)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Today's review is a result of a nice email chat I had with a guy...er ... or I should say bloke (right??) named David from The Kent and Sussex Tea and Coffee Company. That would be across the pond in the UK. In a virtual sense he gave me the keys to his shop and said, "go check out ALL our Earl Grey teas and pick something out for your self and I'll mail it to you." After much thought and debate I picked out the tea we are reviewing today. Needless to say that was very cool. By the way, if anyone from Canyon, Colnago or Focus is listening, and would like to do the same thing, please don't hesitate to contact me.<br />
<br />
Also I was contacted by a fellow Earl Grey drinker who said I should get a nicer plate to display my teas and that I should contact someone to get something especially for this site. Thanks for the idea but I can't justify asking for something of that magnitude. If someone decided on their own to do something like that, well that's completely different, but I just couldn't bring myself to send an email asking for a free plate. Now off to the review.<br />
<br />
<b>Aroma</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxBMqtabYSdwBrk0bXeL4H_n41R9HXyYrGsITUvgrUuYaYBF4WRmBECMAzvi29B0KPQtym_jQxQYV9ZK3uq-gYa4GrJolzc6TQGlfF4RioyYy9jEPEHSVNL6hMco5fewlRkhM6yY90MMAg/s1600/KSTC1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxBMqtabYSdwBrk0bXeL4H_n41R9HXyYrGsITUvgrUuYaYBF4WRmBECMAzvi29B0KPQtym_jQxQYV9ZK3uq-gYa4GrJolzc6TQGlfF4RioyYy9jEPEHSVNL6hMco5fewlRkhM6yY90MMAg/s320/KSTC1.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
As you can see from the picture the sample arrived in a resealable package. Before I cut it open I tried to pick up any hints of tea but I could not. Good start for some good packaging. Once opened I was met with a bunch of different things. To start there was definitely tea but also in there was some citrus. Not alot but still enough to warrant me to note it. At the bottom of the aroma chart was some deeper things which I believe to be some extra aroma Darjeeling brings. I pulled out my current selection of that same kind and sure enough it was in there. So what made this tea give off such an aroma? Directly from their site:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #737373; font-family: "pt sans" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;"><i>This is a unique Earl Grey Darjeeling Tea. We use a good quality medium sized leaf Darjeeling which we scent with Oil of Bergamot. </i></span></blockquote>
<br />
On the tea side it's very nice to know the kind of tea I am drinking (and that's its from India) but the bergamot oil is a bit unknown. As always I like knowing where my food comes from so maybe a location for the bergamot or maybe whether its organic or not. For some this is nit picking, but my loyal readers know it's sort of my thing.<br />
<br />
<b>Steeping Method</b><br />
<br />
I will admit, their times caught me by surprise. From their site:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #737373; font-family: "pt sans" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;"><i>Brewing instructions: Best brewed for 2 - 3 minutes use boiling water.</i></span></blockquote>
What?! No 4 minute option? How can this be? So I decided, oh why not, I'll do a 4 and 5 as well.<br />
<br />
<b>The Results </b><br />
<br />
Starting at the 2 minute time I found a light tea with a fair amount aroma. The flavor leaned more <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJataYlFbCNg0zyj8XjyFdXtrdBblxKxXrdmtUMwUMe5V_X45jcDXBXJRj722yi3FXqRJrm-jhV1cSwD-XwjqNRBmi7MeC-TJFmZNGSF_fdwovtPIvjE1htLlnrG3_JxEroKJWwMjXaX9r/s1600/KSTC2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJataYlFbCNg0zyj8XjyFdXtrdBblxKxXrdmtUMwUMe5V_X45jcDXBXJRj722yi3FXqRJrm-jhV1cSwD-XwjqNRBmi7MeC-TJFmZNGSF_fdwovtPIvjE1htLlnrG3_JxEroKJWwMjXaX9r/s320/KSTC2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
towards the Darjeeling side while the bergamot flavor was much less. The color was very light and the aroma sweetened up a bit as it cooled. The cooling actually let the tea balance out a bit, but this was still a Darjeeling first Earl Grey.<br />
<br />
Next up, 3 minutes. As expected everything increased a bit more. The tea got slightly darker, the aroma improved and the flavor gained a bit more citrus. This meant it balanced out a bit but still not enough for my liking. As it cooled a bit more sweetness was added and the tea gained some complexity. It was nice to enjoy some extra flavoring.<br />
<br />
We will now step outside the suggested steep time and let you know how things went. The first time I tried was my ol faithful 4 minutes and I have to admit, things edged towards my preference. The color was darker, the aroma gained a bit more but most importantly, the tea was even more balanced especially when allowed to cool. The flavor was still on the light side due to the distinct Darjeeling flavor coming through but now it had more complexity when it cooled. In my opinion this was the best time.<br />
<br />
Keeping in mind we are well past the suggested steep time, I give you the 5 minute results. Unfortunately the bergamot didn't increase but rather the opposite. At this time I lost most of the bergamot flavor but like I said, it's not Kent and Sussex's fault. I went way past where they said I should go. But then again, everyone kind of knows by now when I review tea there will be stress testing. I would like to add even thought the flavor was changed, it was still a good cup of tea. I think this reflects the quality of tea used in this blend.<br />
<br />
<b>Re-Steeping</b><br />
<br />
As you have read, this is a lighter Earl Grey which makes re-steeping a tough call for me. If you really want to get an Earl Grey both times I would go 3 then 4 minutes. If you go with my suggestion of 4 right off the bat there is very little bergamot left but you will still get a good cup of Darjeeling. <br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Final Thoughts</b><br />
<br />
I am happy to report I think Kent and Sussex have something here. From my testing its apparent they started with a good Darjeeling as their base. We don't know where the bergamot comes from but at least they are not giving us the same old tired, "Natural flavors" ingredient listing. Is the blend to my preference? No because I like a more balanced and bolder flavor but there definitely was some nice flavors in this tea. So here are my final thoughts. If you prefer a lighter Earl Grey I would definitely suggest you try this tea. If you are like me and want something a bit bolder then go for the 4 minute steep time while keeping in mind this is not the strongest Earl Grey. Because just like wine, just because I prefer Cab Sav it doesn't mean I can't appreciate and enjoy a Pinot Gris.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01700541283729038299noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1082199957775628955.post-81904758029131391112016-09-28T20:51:00.001-04:002016-09-28T20:53:44.087-04:00Review #61 - Teekanne Earl Grey (bagged)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
With the summer now officially behind us it's time I get back to reviewing Earl Grey tea. This time I thought I was traveling to a far off land where Strudel and Bratwurst are everyone's favorite dish. But instead I found a curve ball thrown my way regarding who actually makes this tea. Then when I got over that one, I was hit with another one. This time with the actual ingredients. So as I set aside my Hogan's Heroes references let's quickly dive into another review. Schnell!<br />
<br />
<b>Aroma</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiONfz-8DFG0wiQo3fEptkyylJa59Q8D1wYSouVznhpuYfxj_Hywjbgg-coI_13DoKsyVg0Rp2hxdrK677ml5yV580LM6mvLyjwbfcze1EdYNULhzPhY0_gruQOEAw9qWgvKoZ_-Wuwx6Xg/s1600/tek_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiONfz-8DFG0wiQo3fEptkyylJa59Q8D1wYSouVznhpuYfxj_Hywjbgg-coI_13DoKsyVg0Rp2hxdrK677ml5yV580LM6mvLyjwbfcze1EdYNULhzPhY0_gruQOEAw9qWgvKoZ_-Wuwx6Xg/s320/tek_1.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
The tea comes in a TBDB box with each bag individually wrapped. I should point out the box has a slight variation in that you can also open the box by unwrapping it from the center. There is a tab that once pulled back actually reveals the steeping process in some small descriptive boxes. Peel back a bit more and there are the bags. After all this work I still could not pick up any tea aroma, so their sealing system is dead on. Once I did get the bag open I must say I thought I had a plain black tea bag and not an Earl Grey version. I could not make out any of the bergamot or any fruity fragrances. So what was in that little bag.....welcome to our first curve ball.<br />
<br />
If you look at the front of the box it states the following:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"Premium black tea blended with Natural Bergamot flavor"</i></blockquote>
<br />
But if you look a bit closer to the actual ingredients you'll find a few extra things in there:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"Black tea, Natural Bergamot with other natural flavors, orange peel and lemon peel." </i></blockquote>
<br />
To start, the dreaded "Natural flavors". As you know I am no fan of unknowns in my food and those words always get me wondering. Next up, both lemon and orange peels have been added which again, if you know me, kinda make me think this really isn't a traditional Earl Grey. Which brings us to our next curve ball, who makes it.<br />
<br />
If you pull out your Sherlock Holmes glass and give the box a good inspection you will find the following bits of info:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"<b>Produced for</b> Teekanne (emphasis mine) .......snip.....by Redco Foods Inc ...... Little Falls NY"</i></blockquote>
After reading that, any thoughts of strudel went right out the window. So in fact this German tea is not actually created....made......blended....???? in Germany but rather in the US. Technically there is nothing wrong with that but the idea of trying a German tea is not going to happen with this version.<br />
That's too bad but that's how the tea industry works for some.<br />
<br />
<b>Steeping Method</b><br />
<br />
One of the things I did find different for this tea was the suggested steep times. Are you ready for this?<br />
<br />
They suggested 5 - 8 mins. Which meant there was no need for me to stress test this tea because we kinda already are when compared to other Earl Greys.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>The Results</b><br />
<br />
Just to set the stage, this tea is all over the place when it comes to steeping, cooling, and aroma. For<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDrsiBUmzfgwUbNLUGpEigggqBhwP45qRPiWCQ9METzKX8pT-ZlneXUSIRRoPq0Auz8f_IECvaJqCzsJjgZDE_m_EliHUPCO6VjiYifsNp7dv6GoJ6WOd9kJ8y17nqOarbR3trz8zObL0Y/s1600/tek_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDrsiBUmzfgwUbNLUGpEigggqBhwP45qRPiWCQ9METzKX8pT-ZlneXUSIRRoPq0Auz8f_IECvaJqCzsJjgZDE_m_EliHUPCO6VjiYifsNp7dv6GoJ6WOd9kJ8y17nqOarbR3trz8zObL0Y/s320/tek_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
example, I compared the 5 and 6 minute steep times side by side not once but twice. Hopefully I can explain this properly.<br />
<br />
When steeping, the 6 gave off far more citrus then the 5. But once the bags were removed and it started to cool there was a 1-2 minute window where they reversed and 5 was producing more aroma then 6. But then it reverted back again. Now you know why I did it twice.<br />
<br />
As for the flavor, I got to see some of the same behavior. When done steeping 5 had more citrus flavor while the 6 had a bit more Must. It was clearly a thicker flavor with less citrus. But after letting my oldest son try both of them I tried them again and they reversed. The 5 now had the thicker flavor while the 6 had blended quite nicely to a point of a good balance between tea and fruit. So I let the teas cool a bit more and they went back to their original state. I noticed the same thing at the 7 minute steep time. Just after you take the bag out the tea tastes one way. Let it cool and it starts to blend and mix and you get another flavor pattern. And if you don't like that, let it cool a bit more and you get another.<br />
<br />
Thankfully the 8 minute time did not exhibit this pattern of changing. It was just a strong tea flavored Earl Grey. The balance was clearly on the tea side which is strange given there were three fruit sources. As for the color of the tea, as you can probably guess it was very dark compared to other versions. <br />
<br />
<b>Re-Steeping</b><br />
<br />
Given how long these teas are steeped for, you can imagine there is not much left in the bag when you are done. So I would not suggest it at all. But if you must, I would shoot for 5 minutes the first time and 8 minutes the second. <br />
<br />
<b>Final Thoughts</b><br />
<br />
So after all of this testing and cooling and all the rest, here is my take. To begin this tea starts with two strikes against it. It has unknown ingredients and it has some musty (dare I say artificial?) flavors. Where are those flavors coming from? I don't know. As for the steeping times, you definitely can make the best cup for you given how flexible this tea is. But given how the tea reacts to cooling that may be an issue if you are a slow drinker. There are three different sources of citrus in this tea yet it still remains a mostly black tea. To end, if you are like me and like knowing all the ingredients in your food, I would skip this version. But if that is not a concern, I'd say give it a try and see if you can find a steep time that makes you happy.<br />
<br />
Note: I could not find this tea on their site so I posted their main URL. I apologize if the language barrier prevented me from finding it. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01700541283729038299noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1082199957775628955.post-68816106276980269382016-07-07T16:33:00.000-04:002016-07-11T21:31:58.765-04:00Review #60 - Bromley's Earl Grey (bagged)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
You can thank my youngest because he is the one who found this tea when I wasn't even looking for one. I believe we were at one of those "We sell everything for your kitchen" stores. You know the type of place I'm referring too, it's the one that would make Alton "I hate uni-task-ers" Brown scream in pain. So there we were getting something, and that's when my youngest called me over. "Dad, I found an Earl Grey, have you reviewed this one yet?" Which I replied by giving him a High-five and answering, "No, No I have not, great find. "<br />
<br />
Next up, as an engineer and someone who has written his fair share of code, I need to employ a technique in my reviews often used in Software Development. It's called Code Re-Use. The process is quite simple, you re-use code you have already written because why should you re-invent the wheel when you have already done so. To make things easier I will no longer review the box the tea came in if it fits into what must be a industry standardized box. After some internet research I found most places call it the (drum roll) Tea Bag Dispenser Box. So from now on I will only refer to it as the - TBDB -. Hey if Rachel can call Extra Virgin Olive Oil, EVOO, I can do the same with boxes.<br />
<br />
<b>Aroma </b><br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix9zPfmc5AklMzbWWXrExbTgzDMxw7UY4Cj_EdjXxy4rQtXNBu6vPZKQAFgY_Pb9hK94J1UsZiwHXxSiPNfbBf3-vMj00_MO0j-oO6rsSAzmtQTjpcPXqwz16kkVHqohDpty0yskJrNSjl/s1600/brom1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix9zPfmc5AklMzbWWXrExbTgzDMxw7UY4Cj_EdjXxy4rQtXNBu6vPZKQAFgY_Pb9hK94J1UsZiwHXxSiPNfbBf3-vMj00_MO0j-oO6rsSAzmtQTjpcPXqwz16kkVHqohDpty0yskJrNSjl/s320/brom1.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
The tea comes in a TBDB and was sealed properly because none of aroma could be detected. Once opened you will find each tea bag sealed in its own foil that looks like the side of the TBDB. After ripping open the foil I was met with a fair amount of bergamot. Meaning I could smell it before I even put my nose close to it. When I did take a deep breath I'd call the aroma deep with a bit of linger. Meaning the aroma doesn't dissipate quickly. What I could not pick up on was the tea. In this case the bergamot was all that was coming through.<br />
<br />
A quick look on the bag will give you the ingredients:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"A fine blend of Black teas flavored with pure Italian bergamot oil"</i></blockquote>
To see if I could get more information on the ingredients themselves I headed off to their site. Regarding the tea I found nothing extra. what I did find if you look around their site enough is a recipe for Earl Grey Truffles. I'd post it here but I don't want to break anyone's copyright. So in this case we have to hope both the tea and oil are sourced properly and are natural in origin.<br />
<br />
<b>Steeping Method</b><br />
<br />
A quick look to their box provides brewing suggestions:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"Bring fresh water to boil. Pour the steaming water over the tea bag. For optimum flavour, let it brew 3 to 5 minutes." </i></blockquote>
That means I will follow their suggestion and then do my typical stress test.<br />
<br />
<b>The Result</b><br />
<br />
Starting with the 3min steep time, you obtain a very light colored cup with a more balanced aroma. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi67K0T9R4xL0d5YK174SqZC1hP3LXFKyPfJ3qoq99ZO7QZMNnpI0nituec1Cq-398ECInmbq3hcyrYpBTY4w7baT5WDPluv0nGbigfZW5PqEEJwk8Rtjec3RnZAYM4GM_fgPvdYJGAajn8/s1600/brom2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi67K0T9R4xL0d5YK174SqZC1hP3LXFKyPfJ3qoq99ZO7QZMNnpI0nituec1Cq-398ECInmbq3hcyrYpBTY4w7baT5WDPluv0nGbigfZW5PqEEJwk8Rtjec3RnZAYM4GM_fgPvdYJGAajn8/s320/brom2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The flavor is very much on the light side. It's balanced but there really isn't much to it. I let it cool to see if things would improve but they didn't.<br />
<br />
Moving on to the 4min steep time saw the color darken up a bit and a bit more flavor to enjoy. The aroma remained about the same but at least the flavor improved. That was the good part, the bad was the flavor. Yes it was still on the lighter side but what really struck me was how plain, or bland it was. The flavor was definitely Earl Grey but it really didn't make me sit up and take notice. Again I let the tea cool and this time I did get a hint more citrus but nothing that swayed my initial opinion.<br />
<br />
That left me with the 5 minute steeping time. Just like before the color got darker, the aroma became more pronounced and the flavor increased. But, the flavor itself didn't improve, it was just more of the same. For the last time I let the cup cool in hopes of coaxing something extra out of this tea but in the end, nothing really changed. Meaning there was no complexity.<br />
<br />
Which brings me to my stress test and guess what? I have found another tea you can just leave the bag in the water. I tried it twice to make sure and in both cases the flavor increased a bit beyond the 5 minute steep time but never really went beyond. <br />
<br />
<b>Re-Steeping</b><br />
<br />
Given the nature of this tea, I personally would not re-steep. With such a light flavor to begin with there really isn't alot left for a second cup. But, if you must, I would go 4 minutes, finish the 1st cup then just put the bag back in and leave it for the second.<br />
<br />
<b>Final Thoughts</b><br />
<br />
After looking around the box and the company site, I couldn't find any description of what kind of Earl Grey this was suppose to be. So I will assume (scary thing to do) it's a light Earl Grey and treated it that way. If I'm right this tea will work for those who like a light Earl Grey. For people like me, this is a Rose' in a Merlot world and not something I would buy for myself. But if you like this type of Earl Grey, I would try it for yourself. And remember, if you do try please leave a comment so fellow Earl Grey drinkers can learn from your experience.<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01700541283729038299noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1082199957775628955.post-17441529883671654902016-05-09T16:56:00.000-04:002016-05-09T16:56:00.241-04:00Review #59 - Pique Tea Earl Grey Organic Black Tea<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
That sound you just heard was my review system going up in a mushroom cloud. That's right, the tea sent to me doesn't really fit into my system. For example, I normally stress test most bagged teas. Can't do that with this one. Re-Steeping is another thing I look into. Buzzed! Again, can't do that either. So why is everything so messed up? Lets get on with the review so you can understand why things are soooooo different. <br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Aroma</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO0aKlemLiW60rDxxbeVVOIYzwIe3BqLvG481SIMjKTEQ8kjhq2NUMchBT7MwOAwzHpTiaMjhscZPtaQiDToW9xM1HK45EF2-jnUDna0Yqd2YKsCPRV1fGnydRGReW2j535zqxyi7MnSUy/s1600/pique1+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO0aKlemLiW60rDxxbeVVOIYzwIe3BqLvG481SIMjKTEQ8kjhq2NUMchBT7MwOAwzHpTiaMjhscZPtaQiDToW9xM1HK45EF2-jnUDna0Yqd2YKsCPRV1fGnydRGReW2j535zqxyi7MnSUy/s320/pique1+.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b><br /></b>
As you can see from the photo there is no bag per say. Meaning there is no tea bag in the typical sense of the word because this tea has already been brewed and then crystallized. I guess you could call it powdered tea (Dare I compare it to Matcha?) but we'll stick with crystallized since that's the name Pique uses. To give you a sense of how small this package is I measured it. 3 1/4" x 3/4" at about 1/8" thick. On the front is their company name and the words Earl Grey. On the back Organic information and brewing directions.<br />
<br />
As for the actual aroma, not much of anything which I guess is normal for this type of tea. Given how small the package size is, there is little room for many details. So I headed on over to their website and grabbed the following:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><i>Our delicious Earl Grey is made from the finest Organic and Fair Trade certified leaves from the world-renowned Idulgashinna Estate in the Uva region in eastern Sri Lanka. A really special area, at 3,300-6,500 feet in elevation, the Uva region receives tons of rain in winter very strong, dry winds in late summer. </i></span></blockquote>
<br />
As I already touched on it, this tea is organic and sourced from Fair Trade certified tea farms so good on both points. So how do you make...brew...create.... this new tea? Lets find out.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Steeping Method</b><br />
<br />
I will now present the shortest write up for this section of any review. Ready... because if you are not ready you will miss it.<br />
<br />
Pour package contents into glass, add boiling water, stir and drink.<br />
<br />
That's it.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>The Result</b><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5xJnd_9ezg5lj1wjp_3sFX25EK3mTpdeWZVc29BDp0NTClmICV_yBLj71MvkecBG5bbSnQFMg2-mFm26mqYN4Wb4jPjES8hHOozOICTLEvTrXITlZx1SVV524gWlBogZMFQX3Kup3hEo_/s1600/pique2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5xJnd_9ezg5lj1wjp_3sFX25EK3mTpdeWZVc29BDp0NTClmICV_yBLj71MvkecBG5bbSnQFMg2-mFm26mqYN4Wb4jPjES8hHOozOICTLEvTrXITlZx1SVV524gWlBogZMFQX3Kup3hEo_/s320/pique2.jpg" width="320" /></a>So lets start with the tea itself and then discuss other matters. The tea has a good color and the aroma appears the minute the water hits the crystals. I would describe it as mellow, meaning it doesn't have alot of citrus to it but it definitely doesn't give off any form of perfume. The tea itself is just like it's aroma, mellow. The flavor is closely balanced weighted more towards the tea then the bergamot. Again I prefer a bit more citrus but this tea is exactly as they describe it on their site.<br />
<br />
I let the tea sit for a bit and it pretty much remained the same as when I first poured it. As for complexity this tea doesn't really change all that much in the mouth. The first sip is very much like the last leaving a touch of sweetness. With the tasting out of the way lets talk how this tea may or may not influence the tea market.<br />
<br />
Normally I wouldn't talk about such matters but given how quickly I was able to review this tea, I felt like I had the time and space. To begin, one of its strengths is the repeat-ability of this tea, the other is speed. As for steeping, it has to be one of the easiest I have ever tried. You don't need a pot to brew it in, you don't need to worry about getting the brewing time just right, it all just works and fast. Another positive is the package size and type. With most bagged teas the bag comes in a wrapper of some sort but some of them are paper and don't really hold up. The Pique "bags" could easily be thrown, yes I said thrown, into a backpack on your way out the door for a day of hiking. <br />
<br />
Ironically one of it's biggest positives is also one of it's biggest negatives. Because the work of brewing this tea has been taken out of the equation you cannot tailor this tea to your liking. I did mess around with the amount of water in an attempt to change the flavor but my efforts only made it weaker. Also, because you need a certain amount of water to give the crystals room to dissolve going the other way is just not possible. Maybe a bit but, beyond that must start messing with their recipe.<br />
<br />
Before I finalized my opinion I talked to a number of fellow tea drinkers and got their opinion on this new idea. Like me they were fascinated by the idea, thought it great for people just getting into tea but then paused because we all shared the next opinion. Part of the whole tea experience is slowing down and going through the whole process especially when having others join you. That is clearly missing from this experience. As one person pointed out, it very much reminded them of the instant coffee days.<br />
<br />
So where does that leave us? As it always does, up to the individual to decided.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Re-Steeping </b><br />
<br />
Again may just be the shortest entry I've put in this section. Ready?<br />
<br />
Impossible. Nothing left to re-steep.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Final Thoughts</b><br />
<b><br /></b>Wrapping this review up will be harder then most because Pique has created something rather unique. My engineering side likes to see people push the boundaries and try new things so this tea, as I said before, fascinates me. The results speak for themselves because it's a good tea that is beyond easy to make, and is very super convenient to handle. But at the same time that convenience does take away from the experience and the ability to tailor the tea to your personal likes or dislikes. Either way, try it and see if it fits your requirements.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01700541283729038299noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1082199957775628955.post-44911159742650211962016-04-12T20:56:00.000-04:002016-04-12T20:57:02.674-04:00Review #58 - Allegro Tea Earl Grey (bagged)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="tr_bq">
And you thought you had to wait long for the last review? </div>
<br />
There is no other way to put this, life just kept getting in the way of this review. As you can probably guess I rewrote this intro several times as I got closer and closer to finishing. But then something would come up and Wham...need to start over because I would lose my train of thought and need to have more of the tea and ... and ..... Well all of that is behind me. I got this tea from Whole Foods, I paid for it myself. It's organic and if I don't get this review done today I fear it will never happen. Lets begin.<br />
<br />
<b>Aroma</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh43-xwNvKMPSsh1l_szEl-wP189tC-_2GWOUNP0tTmxetUMmhm8ZryFmb2gVACdMhLqJ2jk7ub6Z69qTL6htae_GU0LMFjrwpvVyGhLAMr-DCoIeIoFGje0QT0cnpvcd2Srnqat8Lz1EAW/s1600/Allegro1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh43-xwNvKMPSsh1l_szEl-wP189tC-_2GWOUNP0tTmxetUMmhm8ZryFmb2gVACdMhLqJ2jk7ub6Z69qTL6htae_GU0LMFjrwpvVyGhLAMr-DCoIeIoFGje0QT0cnpvcd2Srnqat8Lz1EAW/s320/Allegro1.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
The box looks like every other tea box out there. Tiny display hole in the bottom all wrapped in sealed plastic wrap preventing aroma from breaking it's contained area. Once you get all the packaging off, you are met with individually wrapped bags. As should be the case with all bagged tea these days, no staples so that means the string is wrapped and fitted to the tag. As you open up the pouch you are greeted with a muted aroma. You definitely can tell this is Earl Grey but it's not going to knock your socks off. It's on the sweeter side but not artificial at all. It definitely has a more lemon-y smell which if you read their site is exactly what they describe:<br />
<br />
<blockquote>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Balanced and hearty, with natural bergamot and a hint of ripe lemon, it has a distinctive flavor and aroma that is enticing, yet not overpowering.</span></blockquote>
The tea is organic and if you spend some time at their site you will see this company is about making connections with the people who grew what they need. They also make coffee and they are part of many organizations where fair trade and everything that comes with being a responsible company is paramount.<br />
<br />
On a personal note I was very happy to see the words balanced and hearty when I first picked up the box. I've made it very well know through my wine analogies that I like a stronger but balanced tea. Needless to say I went into this review with my interested peaked.<br />
<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Steeping Method</b><br />
<br />
As with many Earl Grey's the steep time of 3-5 minutes using boiling water is not a big surprise. I'll be trying all three times with my typical stress test at the end.<br />
<br />
<b>The Result</b><br />
<br />
This tea is so linear its not even funny. With some teas you start at a lower steep time and then all of <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFQD22WjwZ-6hszZSVBueKftBwWo6yfN_2H6osCuUD3Z9dA6iMdmONf45B_g_bKxPSxS8dOFZbS4Rj82uXkrAw4C_42Mtn-11jhH1vlBrOwXkpnfu1jNOB0_AIB2xxLETuGkL5yvOdqA6o/s1600/Allegro2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFQD22WjwZ-6hszZSVBueKftBwWo6yfN_2H6osCuUD3Z9dA6iMdmONf45B_g_bKxPSxS8dOFZbS4Rj82uXkrAw4C_42Mtn-11jhH1vlBrOwXkpnfu1jNOB0_AIB2xxLETuGkL5yvOdqA6o/s320/Allegro2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
a sudden, as you work your way into longer times, the flavor just sort of turns on. I know that's a very weird way to word it but that's how it feels and tastes to me. But not this tea, as I will now explain.<br />
<br />
I started at 3 minutes and got decent color and good aroma. The flavor was good when first steeped but became nicely balanced as it cooled. You could pick up on the citrus but at the same time could still define this tea as being on the lighter side. Not as thin as some other teas but a little less then where I personally like them. Remembering Allegro's statement about this tea I moved on.<br />
<br />
At 4 minutes everything increased. The tea grew alittle darker, the aroma increased and the flavor became bolder. But at the same time the flavor stayed the same. I doubted myself so I made another 3min cup and directly compared the two times. It was amazing how one tasted like a watered down (think positive not negative) version of the other. Even when I let both of the cups cooled the flavor remained just as balanced for both.<br />
<br />
It was time to try 5 minutes and I hate to say this but again, more of everything. Darker tea, more aroma, more flavor. With some teas the balance is different from steep time to steep time. It's almost as if the tea or bergamot doesn't fully release it's flavor until a certain temp. But with this tea, that wasn't the case. Which meant it was time for some stress testing.<br />
<br />
At 6 minutes this tea finally stopped acting like a dial where you adjust the amount of flavor you want via the steep time. No at 6 things really didn't change all that much except fot the lack of citrus. You could tell the balance was no longer there. But it was definitely an ok cup of tea at this point. That brings us to the 7 minute point where this tea raised the white flag. Yeah I pushed it too far and pretty much found nothing. Given how good the suggested times are, it was expected.<br />
<br />
For those of you going, "come on, this tea can't be perfect" and you would be correct. This tea has very little complexity. Like a fine wine left in the mouth, you started to pick up different flavors. Not with this tea. Once you got to the point where the balance was just right, that was the flavor you would get.<br />
<br />
<b>Re-Steeping</b><br />
<br />
For all of it's linear flavor, this tea did not fair well with re-steeping. Personally I wouldn't but if you must, 4 minutes 1st steep, and between 3-4 for the second. The second will obviously be alot lighter but if you don't mind that, go for it. <br />
<br />
<b>Final Thoughts</b><br />
<br />
To put this quite simply, for the price, you can't go wrong with this tea. The tea is organic so you know what's in your cup. The flavor is pretty darn linear so you can control what kind of tea you are making and for a bagged tea that's pretty rare. On the down side the tea lacks complexity and I've only ever seen this tea sold at Whole Foods so availability may be an issue for you unless you are willing to order online. But overall I would definitely give this tea a try for yourself and let us know what you think.<br />
<blockquote>
</blockquote>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01700541283729038299noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1082199957775628955.post-14346880081638833872016-02-08T14:51:00.000-05:002016-02-08T14:51:41.267-05:00Review #57 - Ringtons Earl Grey Tea (bagged)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So now that we are back into the swing of things, wouldn't you know it, I run straight into a challenging review. When Michael of Finest English Tea contacted me I was, as always, looking forward to trying another tea I had never heard of. Then the shipment arrived, I read the box and found something I had never seen before. What was it? Read on to find out what the challenge was.<br />
<br />
<b>Aroma</b><br />
<br />
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The box I received looks like your typical tea box minus the display tab at the bottom. The expiration date is printed in easy to read letters right on the top and the back has some history and the steeping directions. On one of the sides you'll see that Ringtons is a member of the <a href="http://www.ethicalteapartnership.org/about-etp/what-we-do/" target="_blank">ethical tea partnership</a> which is always a nice thing to see. Last thing you want to learn about your tea is how the people who grow and pick your tea are being taken advantage of.<br />
<br />
Once you open the box you will find a foil bag that contains all the teabags. When you actually open that foil bag prepare yourself for a wave of tea aroma because contained within is not your average 20 bag count but 50. Seriously, there is alot of aroma to take in which really puts you in the mood to do some tasting. There is one small matter with that foil bag; sealing it back up. Since the bags are not individually wrapped, once you the consumer open that large bag you really should find a way to keep the bags fresh.<br />
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As for the aroma itself, more on the tea side and less on the citrus. It definitely wasn't perfume based but it lacked that fresh citrus smell some earl grey's present. To be fair that bit of info is explained on the back of the box.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"We've chosen a milder Kenyan tea for this blend, rather than a traditional China tea which can sometimes be bitter." </i></blockquote>
On one of the sides, you also get the ingredients list:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Black tea (99.3%)<br />Natural flavor (0.7%) </i></blockquote>
As you have heard me drone on and on about, the words Natural flavor scare me. I have also said, more companies then I care to admit, abuse the true meaning of these two words leaving consumers wondering what is really in their food; or in this case tea. So to end, we have a (to use their words) "delicate citrus note" Earl Grey from Kenyan with fairly paid workers.<br />
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<b>Steeping Method</b><br />
<br />
So now we come to the challenging part. The part where I reveal why this review took alot more time then my typical reviews would normally take.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"Water caught just before the boil" </i></blockquote>
<br />
I will admit, those 6 little words really caught me out. To begin, when I boil water in my pot I just set it to the highest mark. But what does that mean? Well as many of you know boiling means the water has obtained a temp of 212F or 100C degrees at sea level. As an engineer I can test for this. But "water caught" is a bit more open for interpretation. So I did some searching and found a couple of different opinions on the matter. Without dragging you threw the internet opinion mud I found it to be somewhere between 200 to 210F.<br />
<br />
Their box also stated a time range of 3-5 minutes. So for the first time in like forever I will not specifically set out to stress this tea by going over 5 minutes. My gut instinct told me that was going to happen naturally given the range of temps I had to test.<br />
<br />
So 200, 205, 210 @ 3, 4 and 5 minutes. You might want to grab a cup of tea because this is going to take a while.<br />
<br />
<b>The Result</b><br />
<br />
I started at the 210F temp because when you think about it, that really is <i>just </i>before boiling. At 3 <br />
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minutes it had a very deep but overwhelming flavor of tea but very little in the citrus area. I let it cool but the flavor did not blend well at all nor did it gain anything other then when I first tried it. At the 4 minute mark the color got darker and the flavor ended up being even more unbalanced. Cooling provided nothing. The final time of 5 minutes took all the bad parts and made them worse. To end this was clearly not the temperature the tea blenders had planned for. <br />
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I then moved onto the 205 range and at 3 minutes things improved. The color looks about the same but the flavor wasn't so overwhelmingly tea. You could now start to pick out the bergamot. It still wasn't balanced but now you could honestly label this tea as light. After a bit of cooling I wanted to say the tea gained a bit of citrus but it was still a small amount and the balance was still weighted towards the tea. At 4 minutes the color darkened and the bergamot was a bit more present. Meaning you could taste it a bit more. The two ingredients were now getting closer to being a more balanced light tea. Cooling provided a bit more, but like before, nothing changed a great deal. At the 5 minute mark it felt like the temp and steep time were still not right. Yes there was more color but the balance was still off and the citrus notes were still missing.<br />
<br />
I gotta tell you, I was getting a bit nervous. So I started in with the 200 temperature in hopes of finding my preferred temp and right away this tea changed for the better. At 3 minutes this was now a decent light earl grey. The citrus still wasn't a large part of the flavor but the tea just tasted better. The lack of over powering black tea allowed the bergamot to provide some flavor. Cooling allowed alot more balance which made me look forward to the next time. At the 4 minute time I thought things were going to greatly improve but they didn't. The color was more suited to a lighter tea, the black tea added to the taste instead of overpowering it and the bergamot was more enjoyable. But it still lacked balance, so I let it cool a bit. Thankfully that was the final piece to this entire steeping puzzle. After about a minute and half the blend came together. The tea mellowed a bit, the light citrus was there and the color looked good. To end the 5 minute time went beyond where I like it and actually brought the black tea back to where the bergamot was no longer blended. Cooling definitely helped but not like the 4 minute time. <br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Re-Steeping</b><br />
<br />
Given the sheer number of permeation's that all of the above steep times would give you I stuck with the 200 range. Keeping in mind this tea was designed to be on the light side (citrus) you must set expectations correctly. If you go with 200 @ 4 mins, then I would do the same 200 but at 5 mins for two light teas.<br />
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<br />
<b>Final Thoughts</b><br />
<br />
Like I said at the start, this was unlike any review I had done before, this one took time and now you can see why. To be honest I still worry that I didn't compare different temperatures enough (Meaning 200 @ 4 vs 210 @ 4. ) but given the shear volume I had to draw the line somewhere. To summarize you have a tea that is sourced in a fair way but you are unsure of the actual ingredients. This tea must also be given extra time to prepare to insure the proper temps and allowed to cool before you can enjoy it. Not to mention this tea is by design a "delicate citrus" flavor so personal preferences abound.<br />
To wrap this up, if you like to quickly throw on some "citrusy" Earl Grey using boiled water and ingredients matter to you, I would skip it. But if you like a deeper flavor and are willing to spend some time making this tea your own by way of experimenting with steep times and temps, I would definitely suggest you try it. <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01700541283729038299noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1082199957775628955.post-52187541398641706212016-01-13T18:38:00.000-05:002016-02-08T13:33:18.211-05:00Review #56 - Twinings Earl Grey International Blend (loose) <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So where do I begin? Lets start with, where have I been. In order to avoid all the details and just get right to it, here is the cliff note version. I spent some time in the hospital around Thanksgiving and then spent some time after that recovering. I'm nearly back to where I was but expect to be so in a few short weeks. Before you post well wishes do me a favor and say a prayer (send good thoughts, etc) to some of the people who I met while in the hospital who have much larger issues to deal with then me. Those are the people we should be praying for. After all of that the holidays occurred which meant no time for reviews. Now that you know everything, well nearly everything, lets begin the review.<br />
<br />
<b>Aroma</b><br />
<br />
As you can see in the picture, the tea comes in a larger sized tin. or as they put it, a caddy. It is <br />
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vacuumed seal so when you pull the plastic cover off the tin you are met with all the aroma at once. You would think the amount of aroma for this much tea would be overwhelming but it wasn't. A quick glance at their leaf symbols on the front of the tin explained why. Only 2 of the 5 leaves were colored in., indicating a mild flavor strength. The aroma itself is more tea then bergamot with a deeper smell rather then one based upon citrus. I wondered what was in the tea and headed off to the Twining's site. Here is what I found:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="color: #6c6165; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.2px;">Black Tea, Bergamot Flavouring</span> </i></blockquote>
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For those of you long time readers, you know this sort of listing disappoints me. As I have said countless times I understand how business works. If you have some sort of secret sauce that makes you tons of money you want to protect it but the second part is where I shake my head. What is flavouring? Wondering if this was some English (US) to English (UK) wording I looked around the site and found it was used in three other offerings of Earl Grey.<br />
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I'm sorry but in this day an age of GMOs and all the rest, the word flavoring just doesn't cut it.<br />
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<b>Steeping Method</b><br />
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This may sound nit picky but I can't read their brewing instructions because the font size on that tin has be around a 3 or 4pt. Seriously, there is a boat load of information on that tin but there is no way I can read it. Yes I'm getting to age where reading glasses are being considered but even my oldest son couldn't read most of the print. It's just that small. <br />
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So I decided to go with the typical 3, 4 and 5 minute steep times.<br />
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<b>The Result</b><br />
<br />
I started at the 3 minute time and got a light tea. The aroma improved from the tin but it still had that deep smell and not one of fruit. The color was very light but I guess that was expected especially given the number of leaves Twining's used to describe it. I let the tea cool a bit, but not much changed.<br />
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I moved on to what I typically call my favorite steep time, 4 minutes. At this time the color grew darker and the aroma increased with it's deep smell. The flavor was a bit more balanced but again that unique aftertaste was there. To be perfectly honest, I didn't like it at all. I decided to let the tea cool a bit and hoped some of the sweetness would tone down the aftertaste. It helped alittle with both the balance and the aftertaste but it was still there.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCfGQOIAsz9KOIftdb-DcCoR0141_xpX9h69PFDPTYbMnU-2z4mZBR1RGquPRpWLzmvwlWFCms9FpaVu2-6m4iU63hUbFGnvdfzAGsUBX-RgcnTzUqIlkyxFJeK8TkF0_CS-DitDgnqBS8/s1600/twin2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCfGQOIAsz9KOIftdb-DcCoR0141_xpX9h69PFDPTYbMnU-2z4mZBR1RGquPRpWLzmvwlWFCms9FpaVu2-6m4iU63hUbFGnvdfzAGsUBX-RgcnTzUqIlkyxFJeK8TkF0_CS-DitDgnqBS8/s320/twin2.jpg" width="320" /></a>That left me only one path to take, try the 5 minute steep time. Thankfully this time provided some help. To begin, the flavor was much more balanced the minute I poured a cup. The aroma was still deep but the flavor had more sweetness to it which helped offset the deep aroma. But most importantly, at this steep time there was no aftertaste. What ever was causing that extra flavor was no longer there once you added that additional minute.<br />
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To end this section, none of the steep times provided any real additional flavors when cooled. <br />
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<b>Re-Steeping</b><br />
<br />
It really comes down to the after taste. If you try it and like that flavor, then you can resteep no problem especially if you like a light tea. Go 3 minutes then 4. You'll get the aftertaste in the first steep but not in the second. If you are like me, go 5 then 5 again. The first steep will be what I described above and the second will be on the light side. But at least you won't have any after taste.<br />
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<b>Final Thoughts</b><br />
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I'm sorry but I can't help but wonder what type of flavoring is causing that after taste. I don't want to sound harsh but most aftertastes are caused by artificial ingredients either alone or mixed with natural. Adding to that, there are plenty of profitable tea houses that provide better information on their tea so I don't see why everyone can't do it. With that said I will end with a familiar statement. If you are like me and like to know what is in your food then I would not suggest this tea. But if you don't share my views, then I would go with the 5 minute steep time for a decent Earl Grey.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01700541283729038299noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1082199957775628955.post-28522935880581958652015-10-26T21:09:00.000-04:002015-10-26T21:09:56.897-04:00Review #55 - Tea Chest Classic Earl Grey (bagged)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I mentioned in my last review that I had tea coming from different people / companies. Well one of those shipments arrived which meant they were going to be the next. I'm also happy to mentioned that Tea Chest was cool enough to give my readers a little something special. It should be noted they offered up this deal before I even had their tea so I like their confidence.<br />
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"<span style="background-color: white; color: #00000a; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; line-height: 13.696px;">we'd also like to give you and your followers an exclusive offer to get two free Earl Grey teas with the first 20 orders of 10 teas from us.</span>"<br />
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So if after reading this review you feel like you would like to support this company, head on over and make sure to tell them you heard about their tea from the Earl Grey Addict. Onto the review.<br />
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<b>Aroma </b><br />
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The rectangular and somewhat flat box arrived with all of it's Royal Mail stickers in proper order on one side, along with a neat hologram sticker seal on the front. Contained within was a boat load of samples. Since I was able to pick the ones I wanted from their site I selected 2 Earl Greys to make sure my review was not based upon just one attempt. <br />
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The samples, as you can see in the picture, were silver coated on one side and clear on the other. The bags within were more of a triangle pouch then just your traditional flat bag. The bag ripped open very easily letting me get my first chance of an aroma test. After a few deep breaths it was clear this tea was very subdued. You could barely pick up on the tea but I didn't detect any perfume at all. A quick trip to their website provided this:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: brandon_grotesque_regularRg; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;"><i>"Our blend has no artificial flavours and has been created using only the finest Bergamot essential oil. "</i></span></blockquote>
I like seeing this information but at the same time I like to know what I am drinking. I would have liked to see which black tea they choose for their blend with maybe a location but as I have said before, I understand that trade secrets are just that. Yes, yes I know I sound like a broken record sometimes and to be fair they do have a "India" tag but I just like knowing.<br />
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Next stop, steeping info.<br />
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<b>Steeping Method</b><br />
<br />
I will let their site do the talking:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Temp: 100C<br />Steep: 3-5 mins</i></blockquote>
So with two sample bags in my possession I decided upon 4 and 5 minute times.<br />
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<b>The Result</b><br />
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Starting where I always do, at 4 minutes, I found a very lite tea with a lite color to match. The aroma improved a bit but this is a very lite tea. So to make sure I wasn't missing anything I went back their site and did some additional research and sure enough this is what I found:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Taste: Crisp, Floral, Fresh, Fruity, Lite, Mellow, Mild.</i></blockquote>
So that made me feel better. I knew I only had two bags so I wanted to get it right. As I did all this the <br />
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tea cooled and the flavors blended a bit more and just like TeaChest had said, this mellow and mild tea arrived. With that knowledge in mind, it was off to the 5 minute steep time to see if letting it cool would bring more flavor as well.<br />
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At the 5 minute time the color got darker, the aroma improved a slight bit but most importantly the flavor improved. We are still talking about a lite tea but at the 5 minute mark the flavors seem to blend more giving a more balanced tea. To complete this part of my testing I let this time cool a bit and again I got the same result. A bit more balance, still mellow and mild but now it had some fruity parts to it.<br />
<br />
<b>Re-Steeping</b><br />
<br />
Given the already mild and lite flavor I really didn't expect much from this tea. At the 5 minute time there was very little flavor left so for me, re-steeping was not an option. At the 4 minute time, and if you let it cool a bit, AND if you like your Earl Grey on the very lite side, I guess you could re-steep.<br />
So 4 on the 1st, 4 on the second.<br />
<br />
<b>Final Thoughts </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Going back to my tried and true wine analogy this tea is in the Chablis arena. I on the other hand prefer a Chianti or Cab Sav. I can appreciate that not everyone enjoys tea the way I do so I will say this. If you are like me, then I would probably suggest a bolder tea, but if you like your tea lighter, then I would have no problem suggesting this tea because it's exactly what they said it would be. <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01700541283729038299noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1082199957775628955.post-83618749638434451052015-10-11T08:45:00.000-04:002015-10-11T19:37:08.439-04:00Review #54 - O Organics Earl Grey Organic Tea (bagged)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
As you know I run this little part of the tea reviewing world in a fun relaxed "kinda" way. That means if someone/some company says they are going to send me tea I tend to modify the tea que if the next tea in line is something I bought. I just look at it this way, if someone is willing to provide a product for review free of charge, the least I could do is not make them wait...too long. Well this review kinda breaks that process because I may have 3 different people sending me tea. So as I wait, lets sneak one in.<br />
<br />
<b>Aroma</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk2TCbSj2fzU8yviUHTh9uB7H4W72nsKCyupz2Brod0ywrbgGGMcHuYyppH1NnmsIOUiqKkfQgFcOUhUmKI8de1eGcEzOnzSIQpqdVn-3LxoB-nzzyB72KbdDCtm5AeMUv2uHElB4Rq1TL/s1600/IMG_0480.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk2TCbSj2fzU8yviUHTh9uB7H4W72nsKCyupz2Brod0ywrbgGGMcHuYyppH1NnmsIOUiqKkfQgFcOUhUmKI8de1eGcEzOnzSIQpqdVn-3LxoB-nzzyB72KbdDCtm5AeMUv2uHElB4Rq1TL/s320/IMG_0480.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
The entire "O" box is wrapped in plastic and once opened you will be greeted by 20 individually wrapped bags looking exactly like the box. If only I was better at photography I would have created one of those picture inside of a picture inside of the picture, etc, etc, photos using the 20 bags. But I'm not so I ripped one open and took a nice deep breath and got.... nothing. And when I say nothing I mean absolutely nothing. I honestly believe the bag itself provided more aroma then the tea or bergamot. I was very surprised so I tried another bag and got the same result. To be fair we've seen how sometimes the aroma test I do really doesn't provide any insight into the final flavor but absolutely no aroma is just a bit weird.<br />
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If at this point you are scratching your head because you've never heard of the O Organics brand don't worry. The brand is an exclusive thing only found at a supermarket called Shaw's located in many of the New England states in the US. I've done some research but couldn't find the actual "creator" of this brand. What I can find is what they have on their site:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #333333; font-family: 'Myriad Pro', MyriadPro, 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><i>this line of goods earned the official USDA Organic Certified stamp of approval – a rigorous, and rewarding process to say the least. It all starts with carefully selecting producers who meet our extremely high standards for organic farming, and only partnering with those who share our commitment to sustainable practices, while promising to never use synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and antibiotics.</i></span></blockquote>
Update: <a class="ProfileHeaderCard-screennameLink u-linkComplex js-nav" href="https://twitter.com/teaprincess50" style="background: rgb(245, 248, 250); color: #8899a6; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 14px; text-decoration: none !important;"><span style="background: rgb(245, 248, 250); color: #8899a6; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 14px; text-decoration: none !important;"><span style="background: rgb(245, 248, 250); font-size: 14px; line-height: 14px;">@</span></span><span class="u-linkComplex-target" style="background: rgb(245, 248, 250); color: #8899a6; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 14px; text-decoration: none !important;">teaprincess50</span></a> was nice enough to alert me that O Organics can also be found in California at Safeway. After some quick searching I found the <a href="http://www.shaws.com/2014/03/safeway-and-albertsons-announce-definitive-merger-agreement/" target="_blank">merger announcement</a>. Score one for the internet/social media.<br />
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With respect to their tea here are the ingredients straight from the box:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Organic black tea leaves, natural bergamot flavor. </i></blockquote>
I think we all understand corporate secretes and such but knowing what kind of black tea would have been a nice touch. But that should not overshadow how much EGA likes seeing the organic stamp. Next stop, steeping times.<br />
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<b>Steeping Method</b><br />
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Directly from the box:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>...rolling boil...let steep for 3-5 minutes...remove teabag and enjoy</i></blockquote>
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This means 3, 4, 5 and of course, stress testing.<br />
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<b>The Result</b><br />
<br />
At the 3 minute mark the tea was very light in color and very light on taste. The aroma appeared but<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYoWTtb3xFQXUvYqU-uuZFRf6aBlyUgFgyLi2jyUPjpxlJvUg1yYqF2I8yuHdBhTF8KWAi_aMRvt-72cKsvDcyA7XSLfi6crcDhH1wfAKFxQdUrah5r12OJiQo1HrQPHAWsZK0GdBRqdbC/s1600/IMG_0490.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYoWTtb3xFQXUvYqU-uuZFRf6aBlyUgFgyLi2jyUPjpxlJvUg1yYqF2I8yuHdBhTF8KWAi_aMRvt-72cKsvDcyA7XSLfi6crcDhH1wfAKFxQdUrah5r12OJiQo1HrQPHAWsZK0GdBRqdbC/s320/IMG_0490.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
again, not like most other teas. I let the tea cool but no additional flavors came through. Simply put, at 3 minutes, there is very little tea flavor.<br />
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At the 4 minute mark things improved a bit. The color improved and started to take on that darkened color us Earl Grey drinkers look forward too. The aroma also improved but only slightly. The flavor on the other hand took a good step forward but only produced a thin and shallow taste. At this time the bergamot came through a bit and given how light the tea was sorta blended and balanced out. I again let the tea cool but things stayed pretty much the same.<br />
<br />
That brings us to the 5 minute steep time. The colored darkened a bit more and the aroma definitely improved. You could actually enjoy the aroma and know for sure you were holding a cup of Earl Grey. Sadly the flavor was still very thin and provided no depth. It should be said it was balanced but that was it. After letting the tea cool a bit the tea did sweeten up a bit which added a bit more flavor but just to repeat myself, still very thin.<br />
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Which brings us to the stress testing phase of this review which this tea passed. Yup, I just left the tea bag in an kept drinking. To be honest, this is what produces the most, and I use that term loosely, flavor. It didn't taste burnt at all so I performed this test twice just to make sure and I hadn't messed up. No burnt flavor.<br />
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<b>Re-Steeping</b><br />
<br />
Given how you gain the most flavor by leaving the bag in, I cannot suggest re-steeping this tea.<br />
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<b> Final Thoughts</b><br />
<br />
Initially I was pretty excited to have a local supermarket carrying an organic Earl Grey at a price matching the main stream companies. But as you can tell from the review, you really need to be a fan of very light tea for me to suggest this Earl Grey. I'm hoping this is their first step into the tea market and maybe they can improve the flavor as the brand grows.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01700541283729038299noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1082199957775628955.post-20525235228048365952015-09-02T19:39:00.000-04:002015-09-08T18:34:41.607-04:00Review #53 - Celestial Seasonings Earl Grey Black Tea (bagged)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
With school back in, or very close to being back in, I thought it a perfect time to review this particular tea. To be honest most people don't associate Celestial Seasonings with anything but herbal tea. I personally drank Lemon and Raspberry Zinger teas during my college years. I would use one bag a day and keep refilling until all I had left was hot water. As a financially restricted (cough) college student it was a cheap way to drink something warm during the cold winter months as you went from building to building attending classes. So when I learned of, and then found their Earl Grey I knew the back to school time frame would be perfect for this review.<br />
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<br />
<b>Aroma</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5zFLgbR9E8dVnAX11R-RoJDdpgapGUim-2pWZZgDQ4Is9pf-eFKnq6eF-XSmEDAfxB7tJV5WJMUtAe3F6PWX_uEl_0U3jo1gPsZlo0A6OPbBe7bGcfL0XDTr_fhhNQtGtXBkYtDdF233V/s1600/IMG_0474.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5zFLgbR9E8dVnAX11R-RoJDdpgapGUim-2pWZZgDQ4Is9pf-eFKnq6eF-XSmEDAfxB7tJV5WJMUtAe3F6PWX_uEl_0U3jo1gPsZlo0A6OPbBe7bGcfL0XDTr_fhhNQtGtXBkYtDdF233V/s320/IMG_0474.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
As with every CS box I have ever seen, the entire box is plastic wrapped. Once past that, you will meet a familiar tea bag holder. Meaning the bag that holds all 20 of their bags in a resealable "wax" bag. So when I got this far I was ready for a nose filled with tea and bergamot and all the rest. Sadly, I got very little. I couldn't pick up on any bergamot, and the tea was rather subdued as well. That got me wondering what was (or was not) in this tea.<br />
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From their site:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #998675; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Our Earl Grey Black Tea features rich and malty Assam tea from India’s Sewpur Estate and lively Rukeri tea from Cyohoha Estate in central Africa, plus a light citrusy note from bergamot.</span> </i></blockquote>
According to their site this tea is part of their Organic, Fair Trade Certified, Estate Teas. Adding to that point was this bit of info:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;"><i>product contains only natural ingredients with no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives. Certified Organic and Fair Trade Certified.</i></span></blockquote>
Needless to say everyone here at EGA enjoys seeing those words. To end this section, we have a organic tea, that has everyone being paid a fair wage but has very little aroma. Lets see how it fairs for the rest of the review.<br />
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<b>Steeping Method </b><br />
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Straight from their site:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #66533a; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">
<i><b>Hot Tea by the Cup</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #66533a; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">Pour freshly boiled water over one tea bag. Steep 4 minutes and remove tea bag. If desired, add milk and sweetener to taste.</span></i></blockquote>
That means we will be hitting 3 - 5 minutes and then stress testing.<br />
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<b>The Results</b><br />
<br />
For this review, and given all the times I would need to test, I went in numerical order with 3 minutes<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBGo3-zMvex3eaTgMYa8dYZJq3mREGO2AEFreMVprvNmeQ9R_K7uiT0dvcXlmvGXkgpuutTPhy56hDd1qtvOTJL81z4o5BMtFapHnc6f16LxULIZJgZczMVu9xbO3DnvGWx_KJiWU1sHN8/s1600/IMG_0487.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBGo3-zMvex3eaTgMYa8dYZJq3mREGO2AEFreMVprvNmeQ9R_K7uiT0dvcXlmvGXkgpuutTPhy56hDd1qtvOTJL81z4o5BMtFapHnc6f16LxULIZJgZczMVu9xbO3DnvGWx_KJiWU1sHN8/s320/IMG_0487.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
being my starting point. Boring but it works. At this time frame the newly steeped tea almost tasted burnt. I was getting no bergamot and the tea, like I said, wasn't giving me a nice black tea taste. So I waited a bit and things improved. A bit more bergamot came through and the black tea flavor improved but not my type of Earl Grey at all.<br />
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Which bring us to 4 minutes. The color improved by getting darker along with a bit more aroma being released. When I first tried it after removing the bag, I wasn't impressed at all. The flavor was not blending or allowing each ingredient to shine. So I let it cool a bit and what a difference. As the tea cooled the flavors blended and the entire tea came alive. What an improvement over the 3 min time and what a difference when let to cool. I repeated this step to make sure I wasn't doing anything wrong and sure enough, same result. The only thing this tea missed is complexity. Yes it was good, yes it was balanced but it just missed that finish to make it a great tea.<br />
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At the 5 minute time frame you could actually drink the tea right away but again, the bergamot wasn't ready to join the party. Even though the color was darker I decided just to let it sit and cool and see if 5 would beat 4. In this case two things happened. 1. The flavor did improve with the cooling but 2. I picked up some burnt flavoring. So there would be no stress testing. CS said this tea was best at 4 minutes and in this case, they were right. Sadly there will be no stress testing today. <br />
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<b>Re-Steeping</b><br />
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Gonna admit going into this phase of the review I had my doubts as to whether this tea coulc produce a second cup from the original bag. I'm happy to admit, I was wrong and you'll never doubt the times that ended up being the best. 4 minutes for the 1st and 4 minutes for the second. You know I like the first steep time and the second isn't bad at all.<br />
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<b>Final Thoughts</b><br />
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As you can probably guess I have a like / no like attitude toward this tea. At 4 minutes I could drink this tea everyday especially given it's organic source. But if you change the steeping times on me, I no longer like this tea. But given how Celestial Seasonings said 4 minutes, I would suggest you try it as well because CS is more then just Zinger.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01700541283729038299noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1082199957775628955.post-36073667624741486972015-07-09T21:55:00.000-04:002015-08-10T14:59:44.178-04:00Review #52 - Wize Monkey - Coffee Leaf Earl Grey Tea (bagged)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i>(theme to Mission Impossible in the background)</i><br />
Earl Grey Addict, your mission if you so choose, is to review a tea that is not tea in the regular sense of the word AND doesn't yet exist on the market. This review will test all your tasting abilities, steeping tests and your ability to properly form a <strike>coherant</strike>, <strike>cohearant</strike>, <strike>corhearant</strike>, an easy to read review. If you accept this challenge you will be one of the first 50 people in the world to ever sample this tea. Good Luck EGA, the tea world is counting on you. This post will never self destruct.<br />
<i>(end theme)</i><br />
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<b>Aroma </b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4p3bOitObq_ZI7-zvEoBW-AANSdgKsV7J04qHrsBV_RuaPHTrOfqWxOW-HJ85IqWOJlpM6D6xYq0uhatpkgu2lppjbOn-YZrtbVQB-X19iy-jEE1ijJ8mZKnoDiFUArIBqZ6cYy395UMS/s1600/wizemonkey1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4p3bOitObq_ZI7-zvEoBW-AANSdgKsV7J04qHrsBV_RuaPHTrOfqWxOW-HJ85IqWOJlpM6D6xYq0uhatpkgu2lppjbOn-YZrtbVQB-X19iy-jEE1ijJ8mZKnoDiFUArIBqZ6cYy395UMS/s320/wizemonkey1.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
I'm sorry but when Wize Monkey first contacted me for a review, I really didn't think anything of it. Then I found out they were trying to create a whole new genre of tea by using coffee leaves. The whole story is on their site and worth the time it takes to come up to speed on this new concept. Then they dropped the real bomb on me by saying the Earl Grey they wanted to send me had not even hit the market yet. Seriously, it's not even listed on their website. So I jumped at the chance and before I knew it, I had two bags of Earl Grey coffee leaf tea in my hands. I'm not going to lie to you, this is cool.<br />
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The rather large sized tea bags arrived in heat sealed plastic bags. As I have stated before, if a company is willing to send me tea for review I don't review the vessel it comes in. In this case the company is still in its infancy so that's all I'm going to say on the packaging. By the way, when I say "a rather large sized bag" I mean almost the length of my hand (wrist to nearly covering the pinky) and about the same width. When I opened the plastic bag I was met with an aroma I have never met before. Which makes perfect sense since I've never had coffee leaf tea before.<br />
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So I spent a bit more time then usual taking in the aroma because I didn't want to miss anything. To be honest I could barely pick up on the bergamot. I had to really hang in there and concentrate before I picked it up because the tea was just so strong. The reason for this as I have alluded too, is the leaves are made from coffee beans. If you have checked out their website you'll know all about the huge benefit this type of tea would bring to people who's financial stake hang on just one crop. Being able to pick the coffee beans and then the leaves from the same plant would provide some much needed financial support to those who may be supplying your morning coffee fix.<br />
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<b>Steeping Method</b><br />
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Because of the communication I've had with the "founders" of this company I received a hand written note stating the following:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"We would recommend a steeping of 5min on this one to fully get the aromas." </i></blockquote>
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It was signed by non other then the CEO and COO, Max and Arnaud. (Ha I get to name drop)<br />
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So with two bags in hand I carefully considered what steeping time I would use for the second. I decided upon 6 minutes.<br />
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<b>The Results</b><br />
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At the 5 minute time the coffee leaf overwhelmed the bergamot while still very hot. The flavor of the<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1QPdrx6poOVgOFQHUTpj-f-T7GXFuFaQJQNEAqkyCPaO_am8fVS5xSRpOoKwkQG42j2n897MuaKhi0eHwyk5SIi-ai7W05ThYEPT2Sm3JhGsUW7XGox9UUN__PEeVaWMv05tx_TMXQjRV/s1600/IMG_0270.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1QPdrx6poOVgOFQHUTpj-f-T7GXFuFaQJQNEAqkyCPaO_am8fVS5xSRpOoKwkQG42j2n897MuaKhi0eHwyk5SIi-ai7W05ThYEPT2Sm3JhGsUW7XGox9UUN__PEeVaWMv05tx_TMXQjRV/s320/IMG_0270.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
tea itself is like a mix of black and green tea with some very fresh honey. I'm talking the kind of honey you get from a local farm and not some brand name jar that has been filtered and all the rest. The flavor is very unique and I liked it. As the tea cooled the bergamot gained a bit of ground but for me the balance was off. The coffee leaves were just so strong. As regular readers of this blog know I like a nice balanced tea and so far the leaves were winning this one.<br />
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So I tried the 6 minute time and this steep brought out more of the bergamot while also at the just brewed state. The balance was still missing so I let the tea cool a bit and that's when this tea came to life. The tea and the bergamot instead of being two distinct flavors joined as a good Earl Grey does. Knowing this would be my only attempt at this tea, I tried to make it last as long as possible. For me, this showed the potential of both this type of tea and it's ability to help create a good Earl Grey.<br />
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<b>Re-Steeping</b><br />
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Could this tea be re-steeped? Being the diligent reviewer I did not shrug my testing requirements. I re-steeped both bags and sampled tea at the 5 and 6 minute mark. The answer to the question on my mind was, sorta yes. If you go 6 minutes on the first time and then 5 minutes on the second you will get a very light Earl Grey but again don't drink it right away. Allow it too cool.<br />
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<b>Final Thoughts</b><br />
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Given how this tea tasted, I really think Wize Monkey has got something special. Would l like a bit more bergamot? Yes but that's just me. But as for the flavor, the ideas behind this tea, and the potential, I really hope Max and Arnaud continue what they have set out to do. Because if their website one day finally has an Earl Grey listed, I'd buy some.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01700541283729038299noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1082199957775628955.post-2590369443445766502015-06-04T19:08:00.003-04:002015-06-08T16:35:43.163-04:00Review #51 - Taylors of Harrogate - Earl Grey Leaf Tea (loose)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Before we begin, I mentioned in the previous review that I was adding a suggestion page that would also show what is in my review que. I'm happy to report that it is up and running which means you can now be part of the process. So if you have a tea you would like to see reviewed, let me know. Since I am but one man with limited resources, and you are the internet, don't be afraid to get out there and find new teas.<br />
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By the way I shouldn't have to say this because it should just be automatic, but if you find it/suggest it, you will be given attribution in the review. Now off to the review.<br />
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<b>Aroma</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjayrUrDyR2_hNGmGA-IQ81Qxwcw0RxwpBl3UF0_ntmO3X1zBdLvZ3qdmpCO3c40UZiZtzh1RK3mEoiUvynGmq7HcxlIcC6Cep1BWeLPWgUf1j8VWfAIKbhvLSgnSGXYVjDqik7K6x7_Uy/s1600/IMG_0246.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjayrUrDyR2_hNGmGA-IQ81Qxwcw0RxwpBl3UF0_ntmO3X1zBdLvZ3qdmpCO3c40UZiZtzh1RK3mEoiUvynGmq7HcxlIcC6Cep1BWeLPWgUf1j8VWfAIKbhvLSgnSGXYVjDqik7K6x7_Uy/s320/IMG_0246.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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It's probably some form of M.C. Esher illusion thing going on but the Taylors container looks huge. So being the typical engineer I compared it to some of my other boxes. Funny thing though, it's actually shorter then some of the tea boxes I have in house and it's width isn't that much bigger either. Like I said, it's an illusion. As for the box well it's not, it's actually a tin that is sealed with a plastic wrapper around the cover. Once removed, and you take the cover off, you will find a sealed bag matching the color of the cover; lets call it gold. Upon opening this bag I was met with tons of aroma. Then again with a 125grams of tea in the bag aroma is something there should be plenty of, and there was. As to its smell, it was not the typical citrus filled aroma I look for. This was a restrained smell like someone took the high notes off the smell and left only the low notes. Almost like it had already been brewed and cooled a bit all while retaining it's freshness.<br />
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So what is in this tea? From the bottom of the container:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Ingredients: Black China tea, natural oil of bergamot. </i></blockquote>
Two remaining points.<br />
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The first, the bag which holds the tea can be re-used. It comes with a plastic tab covered with adhesive. If careful, after taking some tea, you could roll the bag down and use the tab to hold it together. I've see this before and it works pretty well. I like to see this added feature because it allows people who have yet made the full jump to loose tea the chance to keep their tea fresh. Too many of the teas I've reviewed have a bag that once opened, will need to be transfered to an appropriate container or have your tea go stale.<br />
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Second, I could be drinking the same tea the Queen of England drinks.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<h2>
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">we are loyal suppliers to the royal household and are proud to bear the Royal Warrant, the ultimate stamp of quality.</span></i></h2>
</blockquote>
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<b>Steeping Method</b><br />
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Directly from the box:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Use a warmed teapot and add one teaspoon of tea per person and an extra "one for the pot". Add freshly boiled water and infuse for 4-5 minutes. </i></blockquote>
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That means we'll be testing 4 and 5 minute steep times.<br />
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<b>The Results</b><br />
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Starting with my normal 4 minute time I found alot of flavor right after it was<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5tJvApj78lmN7nx4LvwzWYnkHIfyCwQRA99hqzAK7w8w2qV8VqSZ27kL_mDQaWNIZtL3mi4-lUu4QWZbx5zEX94HJ-gm1Z-KAJ-BQ5abJAFjngC1_5fhaUX87kFA9dxePO0giodKB0zzn/s1600/IMG_0257.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5tJvApj78lmN7nx4LvwzWYnkHIfyCwQRA99hqzAK7w8w2qV8VqSZ27kL_mDQaWNIZtL3mi4-lUu4QWZbx5zEX94HJ-gm1Z-KAJ-BQ5abJAFjngC1_5fhaUX87kFA9dxePO0giodKB0zzn/s320/IMG_0257.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
brewed. The color wasn't the darkest I've seen and to be perfectly honest I thought I had messed up on the brew time. I repeated the whole process and got the same result. The flavors were balanced and really worked together. But the thing I wasn't expecting was how it changed as it cooled. With some teas I let them sit to allow things to mix and create complexities, but this tea was reversed. This tea was made to drink right after brewing. When it cooled it actually mellowed a bit.<br />
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I then tried the 5 minute steep time. The color darkened a bit but remained on the lighter side. Again as it cooled it mellowed losing some of it's complexity. The balance in flavor remained even though there was more of it to be enjoyed. Now before you accuse me of forcing you to drink piping hot tea, let me state, I'm not. What I am saying is, you can start enjoying this tea right from the beginning. While some teas take time to balance out, this tea is ready to go the minute it is poured from the pot. Not to mention the mellow flavor is not bad just a touch less in overall flavor.<br />
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<b>Re-Steeping? </b><br />
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I'm happy to report you have two options. If you like the 4 minute time for your first steep, then go with the 5 minutes on the second. Now this may sound strange but if you like a first steep of 5minutes then go 4 minutes on the second to avoid any bitterness. Either way the quality of this tea really shines through with it's ability to re-steep.<br />
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<b>Final Thougths</b><br />
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If what their site says is true, this is Royal level Earl Grey tea. The flavor is balanced independent of which steep time you choose. The aroma is deeper then most but still very fresh. Overall, I'd say you really should try it yourself because I'm guessing you will probably like it. <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01700541283729038299noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1082199957775628955.post-24100840320365869132015-04-07T16:51:00.000-04:002015-04-07T17:24:27.369-04:00Review #50 - Steven Smith Teamaker - Lord Bergamot (sachets)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
What an incredible journey this has turned into. I still can't believe this will make 50 reviews. Adding to the craziness, there are still plenty of Earl Grey blends to enjoy and I intend to review them all. So lets hit some current events and then get to the review.<br />
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1. One of the reasons this review kept getting delayed is due to our record breaking winter. Each day I would tell myself I need to write the next review, and each day Mother Nature would laugh and go "Here is another foot of snow." So instead of putting fingers to keys I was grabbing the shovel to clear all the snow. Thankfully we broke all records so in a way it was kinda cool to experience history in the making.<br />
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2. I'm working on adding another page to this site for two reasons. For you to see what is coming and for the readers to throw me suggestions.<br />
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3. And finally, In celebration of our 50th review I am ready to unleash our very first coupon. How cool is this, EGA is now saving you money. So without delay here it is...<br />
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Head over to Canton Tea Co (<a href="http://cantonteaco.com/" target="_blank">cantonteaco.com</a>) and enter <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">"EGADDICT"</span> and you will receive 10% off your entire order. If you do use the code, make sure to thank <a class="g-profile" href="https://plus.google.com/115701163412072587231" target="_blank">+Louise at Canton Tea</a> , because that's who set it up for us.<br />
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Onto the review.<br />
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<b>Aroma</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Rm_GLg3uyq626tFlPNDWKsZGh-qmrt53CvwQKMSjfJNSSQUDMOHvSzalrkoIWu4c1JG5rP0dOmpHMaWWfen-V5aoDdoFU10SiPBS-EbNBSQhNwf6qFCp8QKMESe7CSwG5EQO91a7xf1E/s1600/smith1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Rm_GLg3uyq626tFlPNDWKsZGh-qmrt53CvwQKMSjfJNSSQUDMOHvSzalrkoIWu4c1JG5rP0dOmpHMaWWfen-V5aoDdoFU10SiPBS-EbNBSQhNwf6qFCp8QKMESe7CSwG5EQO91a7xf1E/s1600/smith1.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
When you first see the S. Smith box it really doesn't look all that fancy. But truth be told they have this perfectly simple, locking tab that works quite well and really speaks to my engineering side. The cover is hinged and under the cover is a simple slot. On the front lip of the box there is an extra bit of the box that creates a tab. So when you close the box it makes a nice snapping sound and keeps the box closed. Sorry but it's the simple KISS types of design features that grab my attention.<br />
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Once you get past the box design and actually open it you will find sealed wrappers looking like large Halloween candy with much of the same info found on the box. Name of the tea, an explanation of the blend, the brewing instructions, etc, etc. When you open one of the wrappers you'll get a sachet that gives off a nice aroma. The first one I opened came apart so easily that I have to go careful with the second to keep the aroma in. Once I pulled that off, I was able to take in a nice blend of bergamot and tea. It wasn't the strongest tea I'm reviewed but more importantly I didn't pick up anything artificial.<br />
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So what was creating this aroma? A quick look to their site provided the same information found on the box.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: JansonTextW04-55Roman, Georgia, Utopia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 1px; line-height: 24px;">"A flavor somewhat superior to traditional Earl Grey. Fragrant Ceylon Dimbulla and Uva are artfully combined with select teas from India’s Assam valley, then scented with the flavor of bergamot from the realm of Reggio Calabria, Italy."</span> </i></blockquote>
As regular readers of the site know, Calabria is a favorite of EGA.<br />
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A few points about the bag should be mentioned. To begin, no staples, and it's fully biodegradable. They also have a bit of wit on how to handle your used tea sachets.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"After steeping, you can sashay straight to the compost heap" </i></blockquote>
Needless to say bravo, this is how every tea bag or sachet should be.<br />
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<b>Steeping Method</b><br />
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If you like how they handled the bag, you are going to love the confidence shown in their steeping instructions:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>For best flavor, bring freshly drawn filtered water to a boil. Steep five minutes, If possible, play a little opera softly in the background. </i></blockquote>
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That's right, 5 minutes. Nothing more, nothing less. <i>"You shall steep directly to 5 and no more, You shall not steep to 4 unless directly proceeding to 5. 3 is right out"</i> Like I said, confidence. So I added 3, 4 and my typical stress testing.<br />
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<b>The Results</b><br />
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Since Mr. Smith gave me precise directions, I thought it only fair that I start at their 5 minute steep <br />
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time. So with Bugs Bunny singing about a certain barber shop, I began my testing. What I received at 5 minutes made this an instant favorite. The aroma from this time was the kind that made you wait a bit more to give you plenty of time to enjoy it. The color was dark to the point where it beats out some of the lighter loose teas I have tried. Then there is the flavor. Right from the beginning this tea can be fully enjoyed. Remove the sachet and start sipping. As the tea cooled this blend only got better. It was balanced as only a good Earl Grey can be and it even had a bit of complexity that left you wanting a second cup. I know this isn't the final section but it must be said, this is an excellent tea.<br />
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The story at the 3 minute mark was good, but as expected, on the light side. The aroma wasn't cranked up, the color wasn't as dark and the flavor matched it. After tasting the 5 minute steep it felt like something was missing.<br />
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The 4 minute time was better but just like the 3 minute time, 5 set such a high mark that even 4 left you wanting more flavor. Don't get me wrong, it was still good, but 5 was just that much better.<br />
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So would this tea break under the stress of going beyond what was expected? In a word, sorta. It made it to about 6 1/2 minutes before the bitterness started to kick in. No hidden secrets but for this tea it really wasn't needed.<br />
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<b>Re-Steeping? </b><br />
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Don't do it; period. After your first steep take the bag and carefully (not to burn yourself) place it in the compost just like they told you. If you want another cup, grab another sachet and follow their directions.<br />
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Ok, Ok, you want to know if you can. Sigh. If you need/have too, go 4 then 5 on the second and it will be ok. But as a wise man once said, just because you can doesn't mean you should.<br />
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<b>Final Thoughts</b><br />
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The bergamot comes from our favorite place in the world grown on family farms, the tea is blended perfectly, and while it may not be Organic, you can enter your batch number (found on the bottom of the box) and read pretty much everything you wanted to know about your tea. To be perfectly honest with you, this is one of the best Ear Grey's I've reviewed so far. By all means, find it, and try it yourself. <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01700541283729038299noreply@blogger.com